The Marshmallow Collection
by Tenshi no Hana-chan
Summary: [50themes]A collection of sweet, soft, and fluffy SasuSaku fics. 11th: It was the little moments that mattered. [all your chibi!SasuSaku fantasies]
1. Sakura Festival: Feast for Sasuke's Eyes

**AN:** Hey guys! Welcome to my first Naruto fic! This whole thing'll be a collection of fics. They're by no means connected to each other, unless I say so.

Want to know why I call them marshmallows? Because they're soft, sweet, and fluffy. And they don't necessarily mean short, because mallows are of different sizes right? – grins –

Anyway, this first one is about Sasuke and Sakura watching the cherry blossoms. It's a bit long, but not too much.

I haven't been to a Sakura-matsuri (cherry blossom festival) but I have read enough books and watched enough anime to accurately describe it, I guess. It's a festival to celebrate the coming and going of the Sakura Blossoms, which only appear for a few days in April. It's celebrated with family and friends gathering under the sakura trees for sake, haiku, videoke, and plain-sakura viewing or 'hanami'.

**Disclaimer: **I own my own mansion, the Vatican, and the fastest jet in the world! I also own Naruto!

Anyone who agrees with me, raise thine hand.

crickets chirp, Tenshi no Hana-chan sweatdrops -

* * *

**Marshmallow 1****  
Sakura Festival: Feast for Sasuke's Eyes

* * *

**

From the moment Uchiha Sasuke stepped out of the place he called home, he knew he was in for a _very_ long day.

Sakura petals blew all over Konoha and all over his front yard as they blossomed again, as was their nature. They would come briefly for a few days, then as quickly, the as quickly as they had come, they were gone. So it was natural for Konoha and the rest of the villages to celebrate the sakura-hana's return and their eventual farewell for another with a festival.

And Sasuke hated every minute of the flowers' brief stay.

He had his reasons. One was that everyone would be distracted by the display of nature's beauty that they would forget their duties. One example was Kakashi postponing everything until the festival was over. Tsunade-sama would also stop all missions to give way for the celebrations. If ever there was a mission, it would be because it was an emergency.

During this period, everyone would let their guard down, making it the perfect time for the Sound nins to strike. He knew this because during his brief spell as a Sound nin they had planned to do so. They would have succeeded too had the other nins not been distracted by the pink-and-white floral invasion too. He hoped it was so this year.

He winced as only Uchiha Sasuke could as he tried to push the memory of _that_ experience away.

Another bad thing about the Sakura-matsuri was the fact that fangirls (he couldn't bear to say_ his_ fangirls) from all over Konoha would seek him out and ask him to be their date during the climax of each day: the fireworks display every night while flower-viewing, as long as the festival lasted. All holiday long girls would claw hungrily (or so he imagined) just so he could their date. He knew the hanami was a family sort of affair, and it was beyond him why fangirls would rather spend it with him.

_Maybe they imagine themselves to be… matrons of the Uchiha clan,_ he thought disgustedly.

But there was an even worse reason why Sasuke would rather die than live through another painful Sakura-matsuri.

Sakura.

And he didn't mean the flowers, either.

Her face always managed to pop out into his mind every time he set eyes on a petal of the celebrated flower. He supposed before it was because of her name.

But it was different in the recent years. Whenever he rested his onyx orbs on sakura-hana, his mind would immediately, as though by instinct, turn to his bubblegum-haired teammate. He would envision himself (before he could even stop himself) sitting with her on a tatami mat, sipping sake thoughtfully, watching the petal float by, maybe even hold the other's hand, and get nearer to ki-

_NO!_ Sasuke thought, mentally kicking himself as he swatted a petal resting on his nose. _That shouldn't have strayed into my mind! I must focus on my goal of avenging my clan!_

That was exactly why he hated the Sakura festival. Because he was distracted, not by the pink flowers, but by the girl who carried their name.

* * *

Haruno Sakura felt as light as a feather as she skipped to the bridge where Team 7 usually met. It was the beginning of spring, and it was the Sakura-matsuri, the festival that shared her name.

The festival was one that made her happy, because seeing the pink blossoms reminded her that she was beautiful, as beautiful as the flowers despite her abnormally large forehead, or else her mother would never have named her 'Sakura'. She had always promised herself that she would blossom as beautifully as the sakura-hana.

But it was not time to dwell on that. The festival was mainly to celebrate with family and friends. It strengthened bonds. The seventeen year-old sighed contentedly. That was why Sakura-matsuri was one of her favorite occasions.

Now, if she could only get Sasuke to take her to the fireworks display.

She gave another sigh, but this time, it was a sad sigh. She knew, like all the other years, Sasuke would reject her and her invitation, with hurtful words or an even more stinging silence. She had no idea what to do to get him to at least accompany her.

For years, her love for the Uchiha genius never faded, it only grew stronger. Even as he became Orochimaru's ally, her love for him never wavered. She often thought before that that she was too young to call what she felt for Sasuke love. But it was a test for her when he left, and she realized that she was in love with him, truly and deeply. And its intensity only grew when he came back to Konoha.

_But no matter how strong my love is, he will never respond,_ Sakura realized sadly for umpteenth time. _He really is just an ice cube._

Her resolve had gotten stronger then. _I won't ask him for a date today. It will only bother him. I'll just have to be content with watching over him._

She fingered her kimono tentatively. Surely Kakashi-sensei would cancel training or missions today… he usually did. But she brought a change of training clothes just in case.

As usual, Sasuke was on the bridge first. Was it her imagination, or did his scowl seem deeper that day? Sakura wondered what was there to scowl about. It was _only_ the most beautiful day of the year.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura greeted cheerfully, as was her routine. He grunted in reply. She took her place beside him, leaning on the rail and watching the sakura trees nearby rustle in the April wind. The blossoms scattered and made beautiful patterns in the air.

_This is the most beautiful time of the year. I might as well enjoy it, with or without Sasuke.

* * *

_

He had waited for that episode with Sakura to come, but it didn't.

To Sasuke's immense surprise, Sakura had deviated from her habit of asking him out every single day.

_Maybe she's doing something. Maybe she's going with her family to the Sakura-matsuri, and she can't ask me._

_Maybe she's plain tired of hearing silence every time._

Sasuke frowned. _Why do I even care?_

_Maybe it's because you wanted to say yes if ever she asked you, _a small voice in the back of his mind told him. He quickly shoved it into a box. That wasn't possible. It never was.

Year after lonely year Sakura asked him to go with her to the celebrations, and he always refused, either with harsh words or with silence.

But year after year, the strange longing to finally agree with her burned stronger. Sasuke wondered at this. He knew he shouldn't feel that way. Every year, this desire pulled stronger at his heart, gnawing at whatever half-meant reason was left in him. But every year, he had to disappoint Sakura, until he could finally figure out what his feelings meant.

There was a lot of conflict going on in Uchiha Sasuke's confused, befuddled mind.

To his left, he could vaguely hear Naruto shout out his usual greeting. He could hear Sakura happily reply, and the two chattered like there was no tomorrow.

Suddenly, for a reason he couldn't explain, Sasuke felt panicked. _What if _Naruto _asks Sakura to the festival?_

He realized what he was thinking. _How could I even think that? How could I even care who Sakura's going out with? I shouldn't care, I don't feel anything for her._

_Ah, _the voice again spoke. _How sure are you that you don't feel anything for Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke? It's been years since you last felt, and you've forgotten how to interpret your own feelings._

_Kuso,_ Sasuke thought, growling inwardly. _I am NOT in love with Sakura. I will NEVER be in love with Sakura._

_Oh, but the harder you try to convince yourself of that, that harder you will fall for her, _the inner being inside Sasuke said, smirking. _You should be able to learn from the past. The more you shut out your team, the closer you became to them. How do you know this isn't the same scenario?_

_And no one said anything about being in love with Sakura. You figured that out yourself._

Sasuke felt frustrated. He couldn't be. He was about to argue with his mind when a sudden poof jolted him out of his thoughts. Their former teacher had arrived.

"You're late!" Naruto yelled, as was their routine.

"I was helping this granny-" Kakashi began, but Sakura cut him off.

"No excuse!" she shouted. Suddenly, she blinked and look at her wristwatch. "Wow, you're only twenty minutes late! You're usually, what, hours late! That's a new record, right?"

Kakashi grinned, or else that's what everyone thought, as they couldn't see through his mask. "Yeah, I know, right? Well, I came extra early-" (At this, Sasuke snorted) "- to tell you that we won't be doing anything today. It's the Sakura festival, after all, and we all deserve a break, right?" He looked at Sakura and her kimono. "Looks like you anticipated this."

"You do this every year, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura pointed out.

"Well, anyway, that's that. You can go now." With another poof, he was gone.

"Well, bye bye, Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed, waving. "I'm going to the hanami with Hinata-chan! She promised ramen!" And with that, the blond fox was gone, leaving Sakura and Sasuke alone.

Sakura shook her head at Naruto's retreating form. "Typical Naruto," she said softly. "Nothing matters except ramen and Hinata-chan."

"Hn."

"Well," Sakura said, grinning at Sasuke, "I'm going now. I'm going to the hanami too."

She began to skip off, but stopped at Sasuke's voice. "Wait."

She turned. "Yes, Sasuke-kun?"

"You're going alone?" Sasuke asked, as though his mouth had a brain of its own. Why was he concerned with Sakura's affairs, anyway?

"Yeah, I am," Sakura replied with some surprise. The corner of Sasuke's mouth twitched, as though he was going to smile. Without thinking, he strode to her and wrapped her hand around his. Sakura blushed, but said nothing.

"Then let me take you," Sasuke said simply.

* * *

_This is certainly a surprise,_ Sakura thought, blushing so red that it put her hair to shame. _Since when has Sasuke-kun been so… straightforward? Not to mention thoughtful enough to accompany me? And he's _holding_ my hand! And his grasp is so tight too! And he's doing the pulling! This isn't Sasuke-kun, it can't be!_

"Are you sure you're Sasuke-kun?" she wondered out loud, mostly to herself. Apparently, it was loud enough to be heard by Sasuke.

"Yeah, I think so," he muttered, the corner of his mouth curling up into a small smile. Sakura blushed again. It wasn't because he heard her, it was because of the smile.

_He smiled at me. Not a smirk, a smile. It may have been small, but it's a smile, in Sasuke's world._ She felt as though a balloon had risen in her chest.

She could feel eyes on her and Sasuke. She noticed the girls that formed his fan club had been giving her death glares. She tried her best not to look smug._ I… I won. Over all of them. I'm the one Sasuke-kun chose… in the end, his first date is with me… and mine with him… I was right not to give up on him…_

The Inner-Sakura was jumping up and down with glee. **Oh my god I'm with Uchiha Sasuke THE Uchiha Sasuke gosh this is so exciting what if he kisses me or does stuff oh my gosh I feel so tinglyandhappyandplainburstingwith EXCITEMENT!**

Millions of thoughts ran through Sakura's mind as Sasuke led her to the sakura grove, where most people did their hanami. These thoughts passed by so fast that she didn't have time to look them over. Then one of these thoughts stopped all others in their tracks.

_What if he's just using me to get away from his fan club?_

The balloon in her chest was pricked by a needle.

Sakura bit her lip, contemplating on the possibility. _It doesn't even seem far-fetched. I'm the only girl he knows. He's close enough to me to be doing this. And since he knows me and how to control my mood swings, he can do this sort of thing. Whereas if he just picked up some random girl to pose as his date so his fan club won't attempt to harass him… it would mean disaster for him._

She wanted so badly to confront him. But she knew she'd be quite embarrassed if she did. _Of course, I could be dead wrong…_

_But there's just no other logical explanation! Just that… _She gave a small inaudible gasp as she realized something. _…or he really _does _want to spend time with me… genuinely… no holds barred, no strings attached, just plain being together…_

_But…_

She sighed, as reasons, one after the other, chased each other, wreaking confusion in poor Sakura's mind. Her emerald pools looked downcast. Not a very usual sight, a first date with the girl looking quite unhappy. She gave a shuddering sigh. Her body trembled, and Sasuke felt it.

"Anything wrong?" Sasuke asked quietly, searching her eyes, not slowing his pace.

"I…" She took a deep breath. It was now or never. She grabbed her hand away from him, and they stopped walking. "Sasuke-kun, are you really taking me? I mean, on a real-sort-of-kind-of-I-guess-most-probably _date_?" She said the last word in a squeak, so that if he didn't hear, she wouldn't have embarrassed herself.

But Sasuke had sharp ears. "_Yes_," he said, sounding exasperated, but his face had reddened quite a bit. He grabbed her hand again, turning his face away from her. "Now, come on. Are you going to be happy or not?"

"Happy…?"

"I'm doing this to make you happy," Sasuke said curtly. "Now, _come on._"

"But… but…" Sakura spluttered, refusing to follow him. "But since when did you _care_?" She was glad they were in a secluded part of the grove, or else she would have wanted to disappear into the ground. What kind of girl complained on her first date? She looked down on her sandals, biting her lip.

"Always." She looked up abruptly, and there it was again. The small smile she often wished was on his face. Just as suddenly as it came, it was gone, replaced by an impatient frown. "Now, are you coming, or do I have to carry you there, talking for hours about my reasons?"

Sakura laughed, her cheeks tinged with pink. "I'm coming!"

All was right in Sakura's world.

* * *

All was not right in Sasuke's world, however.

As he vaguely paid for snacks at a stall, one of the many in the grove, he thought of what he had just done. His world had been turned upside down, and it was his own fault.

_I just asked Sakura out, she wasn't too happy at first, I held her hand, and I want her to be happy. What is _wrong _with me?_

The stall owner wrapped their package in a plastic bag, and cheerily said, "I hope you enjoy the festival with your lady-love, sir!"

He stopped short. Slowly, he turned his gaze to the man selling the food. "What did you say?" he asked slowly.

"E-enjoy the festival with your girl?" The man gulped audibly, looking as though he realized he had touched a nerve.

"She's not _my girl_," Sasuke mumbled. The last thing he needed was gossip to be spread around that Sakura was his girlfriend.

"S-sorry," the man stammered. "I-I'll be… um… not bothering you now…"

"Come on," Sasuke muttered to Sakura, who had stood as though in a daze. In his eyes, she was looking sad again. He frowned as they hurried away from the stall and the people who were staring in their wake. "I told that guy you weren't my girlfriend because neither of us wants to be the topic of gossip, now do we."

"Of course, Sasuke-kun," Sakura said, catching up to him as he held her hand again. "I understand."

From the main path, they took a turn. Sakura looked confused. "Where are you taking me, Sasuke-kun?"

"The Uchihas' private viewing spot," he said. His heart lifted when he saw Sakura's surprised face. They climbed the stairs to the said spot. "When… they were alive, my family used to take me here and… watch the sakura."

"But it must be sad for you," Sakura said, pity in her voice.

"Don't worry about it," he said curtly. With that, they stopped talking and walked in comfortable silence, lost in their own thoughts.

_I'm taking Sakura to a place I have not visited since I was a child, since my clan was killed. And strangely, I don't feel any sadness, because I'm taking comfort that Sakura is with me. What the hell is wrong with me?_

_When that stall owner said that she was my girlfriend, why didn't I feel embarrassed? Why did I feel… happy, but oddly defensive? Shit, Sakura's turned my whole world upside down. This whole festival's turned my world upside down._

_Do I really feel something for Sakura? Does she really mean a lot to me? Do I really love her?_

_I can't love her! If I do…_

_Itachi__ will kill her!_

The Uchiha prodigy looked at the girl he was holding the hand of. She was distracted, looking at the sakura-hana floating around in the breeze, a slight smile on her face. The blue kimono with the floral accent flapped in the wind, showing a bit of her creamy legs. The wind threw her hair this way and that, but it didn't look messy to Sasuke. To him, she looked… stunning, to say the least.

_Stunning? Is that even in my vocabulary?_

_For the love of hell, am I really in love with her?_

_If Itachi finds out, he will kill her!_

_But…_

He grasped her hand tighter, and she turned her gaze to him, an obvious question in her eyes.

_I'll just have to protect her, won't I?_

The stairs stopped, and Sasuke led Sakura to a deck overlooking Konoha. "Come here," he said, a secret smile on his face. He wondered if Sakura saw it.

He watched Sakura's facial expression to go from stoic to shocked to delighted. "Oh… my… lord…" she breathed. "It's… it's beautiful, Sasuke-kun! It's the most beautiful place in the world!"

For down below the deck, he knew she could see the whole of the sakura grove, with all its beautiful sakura trees, and the blossoms flying as far as the eyes could see. The sky was blue, the air was cool, it was perfect.

Her fascination with the place was like his every time he visited the place when he was a kid.

He never came to this place since his family's death, till then. He often thought that coming back here would mean more painful memories. Memories of a childhood lost.

Whenever the Sakura-matsuri came, he often looked at the families celebrating, and it hurt him to see them enjoying each others' company, while he had no one to enjoy it with. That was why he was holed up in the Uchiha mansion every time the festival came.

_But now…_

He watched Sakura as she looked around the place. "Wow! It even has a small house!" she was exclaiming, like a child who had just gotten a gift. "And the trees… the nature… it's just all perfect!"

_I don't feel any sadness._

Sakura ran into the house, dragging Sasuke with her. "It's a shed for things!" Sakura said. "But it's so… snazzy, as sheds go!" She let go of Sasuke's hand and grabbed some tatami mats and a jar of sake, which had been in the shed.

_Because…_

Sakura frantically set up the tatami mats, the food, and the sake on the white cobblestone deck, and Sasuke watched her, fascinated.

_…she's here…_

It was the first time in years he enjoyed a Sakura-matsuri.

* * *

_So beautiful… so very beautiful…_

Sakura couldn't find any other word to describe the place Sasuke had brought her to. The beauty of nature overwhelmed her. She raised her hand, palm up, and let the sakura blossoms flying in the breeze brush her hand.

"This is the most beautiful place in the whole world!" she gushed, facing Sasuke with a big smile on her face. "It's so… beautiful!"

"For lack of anything to say?" Sasuke asked, smirking.

"Un, you could call it that," Sakura said, laughing. "Oh, Sasuke-kun, thank you so very much!" She raised her arms to hug him, but she stopped short, blushing.

_I can't ruin this. He won't like it if I hug him._

But Sasuke gave a very small chuckle. _Wow,_ Sakura thought, dazed. _A smile and a laugh, all in one day!_

"It's all right, Sakura," he said quietly, the smile still in his eyes. "I don't mind."

Tentatively, Sakura raised her arms to hug him. But instead of wrapping her arms around his neck, she wrapped them around his waist. She felt Sasuke tense in surprise as she rested her head on his chest.

"Thank you," she whispered.

* * *

Sasuke watched Sakura watch the sakura-hana. For some reason, he couldn't take his eyes of her. From her hair to her eyes to her very well formed body, she was so beautiful, that for several moments Sasuke's mind could process nothing but her face.

His heart began racing faster. How he wanted to touch her face, her hair, her arms… he noticed vaguely that he hadn't taken his hand off hers much during the duration of their being together. He couldn't. It was too smooth and creamy, even after years of wielding shuriken and kunai. Distractedly he ran his fingers up and down her hand.

It was lucky for him that Sakura couldn't notice that he was staring avidly, not at the sakura-hana, but at her. Her emerald eyes were glittering as she sat transfixed by the show of nature's beauty. She was more beautiful, no, stunning, than Sasuke could ever remember.

His resolve not to kiss her right then and there grew weaker. She was too beautiful.

_No. No. No. I won't do it. I can't let Itachi find out I have a weakness._

_So you finally admit it, _the voice inside him piped up. _Sakura's your weakness._

_Shut up,_ Sasuke thought angrily.

_No matter how much you say that, you can't tune me out, Sasuke. I'm you, remember that. You will always hear what I say, just as I will hear you._

_You're in love with Sakura. You can't deny that._

Sasuke decided to stop thinking for a while and watch the sakura-hana with Sakura. But moments later, his gaze had again rested on her. It was several minutes later that he realized he was staring. He shook his head, and tried to keep his eyes on the flowers.

But his head kept turning towards her. She, however, kept her undivided attention on the flowers.

For almost an hour, they sat in silence, Sakura comfortable, Sasuke not. Sakura's head drooped onto Sasuke's shoulder, as a testament on how comfortable she was. Sasuke froze at first, but relaxed and let Sakura stay that way.

After a while, Sakura suggested lunch, and they ate, talking about random things. Sakura did most of the talking, and Sasuke, for the first time, finally allowed himself to enjoy the simple pleasure of Sakura talking about things that interested her.

Once or twice, she had caught him staring at her and not taking in a word she was saying. "…so I read in this book that-" Suddenly had she stopped, frowning. "Uh, earth to Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke had shaken his head, and indicated for her to continue.

Finally, Sakura had dropped off to sleep on the tatami mat, and that left Sasuke more time to do some Sakura-viewing. He ran a finger over her porcelain cheek, and wondered if one day, he would be able to wake up to this sight.

At that thought, Sasuke bit his lip. As long as Itachi was alive, he could not do so. Finding out he felt at least something for Sakura had strengthened his resolve to kill his brother. He would kill him, for his own sake, and hers, if her destiny was intertwined with him.

_Already, you're planning married life with Sakura, _the inner voice said, a smirk in his voice. _You _are _in love with her. _

_And what if I am? _Sasuke retorted.

_Then that makes things more complicated, right?_

_I don't care. Sakura…_

Sasuke's face gave off a trace of a smile. _She's mine.

* * *

_

It was already dusk when Sakura woke up. "Why didn't you wake me up, Sasuke-kun?" she muttered sleepily, rubbing her eyes.

"You looked peaceful," he said. Sakura smiled. He really was a man of few words.

"Thanks. But I hope we didn't miss the fireworks," she said.

"We haven't," Sasuke replied. "That's an hour from now." Sakura nodded, feeling a sense of contentment and peace, even in Sasuke's presence.

Before, the boy's aura reeked of death and destruction. It was ironic now that she felt at peace with him. She smiled and went to sit with Sasuke to talk with him.

"Did I snore?" Sakura asked, giggling.

"No," Sasuke said, snorting. "I would have woken you up if you did."

"I would've annoyed you, huh?" the pink-haired kunoichi asked, a lilt in her voice.

"Of course." Sakura laughed.

"Typical you, ne, Sasuke-kun?" she asked, grinning.

"Hn."

* * *

"It's starting!" Sakura gasped, absolutely giddy with excitement. Sasuke gave her one his signature miniscule smiles.

A streak of light went up into the air, and exploded into bright colors. Sakura gasped again, and applauded. Sasuke watched in silent satisfaction, pulling Sakura closer by the waist.

Streak after streak of light went up into the air, exploding into red, green, and blue. Some of the fireworks made the sky glitter, others covered it with colored smoke. A lot of them exploded with a lot of noise.

"It's just like the New Year!" Sakura exclaimed. Without taking her eyes off the fireworks display, she murmured, "Do you think we can go here this New Year?"

"It's a date, then," Sasuke mumbled in her ear. She grinned and rested her head on Sasuke's shoulders once more, both content that the other was satisfied, caring not what the world thinks, or what would come the next day.

They would be together to face it.

* * *

Spring brings new things to the world. It brings new life, new life, and fresh beginnings. It ushers in new chances and opportunities.

And for others, it ushers love, fresh, new, and ready.

* * *

**AN: **So happy I finished this in a day!

Did you like it or not? Please tell me so in a review!

Thanks, all you sasusaku lovers out there! Peace out!


	2. Proposal: Facts of Life

**AN:** Tenshi-chan's back!

Here you go, guys! The second marshmallow! Like I said, this is in no way connected with the previous fic, so don't wonder.

Nyao! Gobbledygobblegook! Shabalaba dingdong!

(Sorry, I had a random SD moment… -)

This one is about Sasuke deviating from the way he is acting, making him seem OOC to Sakura. She finds out why, and it's to her delight.

I can't really say if Sasuke is OOC in this, but he probably is, considering Sakura will think he is.

Here's the next installment! Enjoy, you guys!

* * *

**Proposal: The Facts of Life

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, not even the computer I'm typing this on. Much less do I own Naruto.

* * *

Sakura knew there was something strange going on the minute Sasuke called her.

It was mid-afternoon when it happened. She was sitting in her apartment, looking over the scroll Shikamaru sent her about their next ANBU mission, when her phone rang.

"Hello?" she asked, expecting it to be Ino.

"Sakura. It's me."

Sakura almost dropped the phone. She knew that sexy baritone voice anywhere.

(As the word _sexy_ crossed her mind, she nearly blushed. _It must be the heat of the afternoon, _she thought.)

"S-sasuke? You're… you're calling me," she said weakly.

"That's blatantly obvious," Sasuke retorted.

(At the phrase _blatantly obvious,_ Sakura almost snorted into the phone. Why did Sasuke have to be so redundant sometimes?)

"So… what's up?" she asked. "Anything wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I'll go straight to the point," Sasuke replied briskly.

_Ah, Sasuke-kun. He never liked beating around the bush._

"I want you to meet me at the park around five-thirty."

Sakura raised a perfectly-shaped eyebrow. "Huh? Say what?"

"I want to meet you at the park at five-thirty," Sasuke repeated, sounding exasperated. "To walk around, or whatever. I need to talk to you."

"Why not here? I mean, on the phone?" Sakura asked, very confused.

"Just because. Now, will you meet me or not?"

(_Talk about rude and demanding, _Sakura thought. _Why the hell is he my boyfriend again?_)

"Okay, okay," Sakura said quickly. "No need to get your panties in a tussle." Sasuke growled in the phone. Sakura imagined his expression to have annoyance etched all over it. "So… it's the fountain?"

"Aa. Don't be late. Ja." Without waiting for an answer, Sasuke put down the phone.

Sakura shook her head as she put the receiver back into the cradle. That was the strangest phone call she had ever received, not because of its abruptness, but because it was _Sasuke_ who called her.

**Fact 1: **Sasuke never called.

In their nine years of knowing each other (three of which was spent as a couple), Sakura did the calling. She often called him when she was bored and alone, or just to hear his voice again. He never called her, and took all the trouble walking to her apartment from the Uchiha compound to talk to her. (For that, Sakura loved him all the more.) In fact, she thought, if it weren't for her, his phone would be entirely unused. She once saw his phone bill, and it was almost quite empty, except for rare calls to the Hokage's office, and it was all work. (Sakura knew the end of the world would come if Sasuke called Tsunade-sama just to hear her voice.)

But Sasuke called her that afternoon. And that was not him, not him at all . Sakura vaguely thought if that was an imposter who called her. She made note that she take a couple of kunai with her just in case.

**Fact 2: **Sasuke always went to her apartment to talk.

As stated before, he took all the trouble walking from the Uchiha part of town, where his lonesome mansion was situated, to her apartment, which was quite far, as it was located almost way across town. Sakura loved him for that, because it only showed how much he cared to see her face, than just merely to hear her voice. If Sasuke ever asked her to meet him, it was treated as an official date, not as just talk-time.

Which lead to **Fact 3: **Sasuke never asked for walks, especially not around parks.

Sasuke didn't like public places all that much. Even as Sakura complained that he isolated himself too much, for a twenty-one year old man anyway, he tended to be a very private person. He always wanted to keep things like birthdays and other celebrations to friends. In fact, the only public place he would willingly go to was the Ichiraku, to eat ramen with her, and sometimes, with Naruto in tow. And Sakura was the one who initiated walks, not him. She felt it was her responsibility to drag him out into the sunshine to stretch his legs.

All this was very strange to the pink-haired medic nin. Not that she didn't like changes, though. Looking at it in the big picture, she knew these changes were good, because it served for them to be even closer.

Sakura sighed and resumed analyzing the scroll. She was going to have to ask Sasuke what was the problem sooner or later. (She preferred sooner than later, though.) No matter how good the change was, there had to be a driving force behind it, and she felt that it was most probably a problem.

She didn't know that the changes were only starting.

* * *

**Fact 4: **Sasuke was always on time, if not early.

Sakura sat on the bench fronting the fountain, a frown beset on her soft features. She had never experienced Sasuke late, and now that he was, it was annoying her as much as she had annoyed Sasuke when they were younger, which she suspected amounted a lot.

She checked her watch. It was currently ten minutes after six. _Maybe he said six-thirty, not five-thirty, _she thought. That was probably it. Sasuke was _never_ late. Especially not _this_ late.

Besides, why would he be late?

Sakura, whose back had been straight, flopped down like a rag doll onto the backrest of the bench. She rolled her head from side to side. She was growing impatient, though her facial expression didn't show it.

The inner-Sakura, however, was a different story. _And he tells me not to be late! _she was screaming indignantly. _He better have a good explanation for this… I'm getting tired of waiting! Why isn't he here yet?_

When Inner-Sakura, in imapatience, was bouncing off the walls of the real Sakura's mind, and Sakura was starting to become worried, Sasuke finally showed up. She restrained her inner-self from jumping all over Sasuke, demanding an explanation. Instead, she stood up, and strode up to him, and gave him the beating of his life by saying…

"Sasuke-kun."

All she had to do was give him a disappointed look to make him putty all over her hands.

"Look, Sakura, I'm sorry I'm late," Sasuke mumbled, pleadingly, or as pleading as Uchiha Sasuke could get. "I'm sorry, okay? It's just that I-" Sakura cut him off by putting a slender finger over his lips and smiling.

"Sasuke, it's _okay_. It's not like this happens all the time," she said sweetly.

_And this better be the last time! _the inner-Sakura scolded, though she was never heard, only seen in the real Sakura's eyes. A glimpse of this was enough for Sasuke.

"Come on," he said quietly, taking her hand.

(As Sakura looked into his eyes for a brief second, she saw intense relief. _Was he _that _worried?_)

_Well, I was worried for nothing, _Sakura thought as she fell into step with the Uchiha prodigy. _He's quiet as usual, he fell for the 'disappointed look', and he's holding my hand, all the usual, nothing wro-_

_But wait._

_He's sweating. He's sweating badly._

That was true, as Sasuke's hand was slick and cold against hers. Sasuke's face told her he was in deep thought. She frowned as she searched his eyes. There was something wrong, as the worry on his brow and in his onyx eyes had come back.

**Fact 5: **Uchiha Sasuke was hardly nervous.

There was something wrong. There was really something terribly wrong with her Sasuke-kun. Why would he be nervous? The last time Sasuke was nervous was during his trial for being a missing nin (which ended with him getting six months probation, which, in the Godaime's words, was hardly anything to flinch about). There had to be a reason similar to the trial this time. She had a gut feeling that this was going to be life changing.

"Sasuke-kun, is there something wrong?" she asked worriedly. "You're… cold."

"Huh – what?" Sasuke asked, looking like someone who had been jolted out of his thoughts. "O-oh, nothing – nothing's wrong, Sakura."

She gave him a skeptical look, but decided to let it go. It was her personal rule never to push it with Sasuke. And she never liked deviating from the rules.

A few moments more, and they fell into deep silence. Sakura was comfortable being in his presence, although the comfort made her wonder at times. She could hardly count the people who would never feel comfortable in Sasuke's presence. She was one of the few who could.

Suddenly, she realized something.

**Fact 6: **Sasuke always went straight to business.

Sasuke still wasn't doing what he came to do with her in the first place. He wasn't telling her anything, which made Sakura feel as though he was hiding something from her.

_But then again, Sasuke is a very secretive person. I really shouldn't push it._

She directed her attention instead to the setting sun as it colored the sky pink and orange. It was disappearing slowly beneath the mountains. The cool night air was beginning to settle in. She let the breeze caress her bare arms and whip around her blue civilian dress, one that allowed her to move around, but also helped her to maintain her feminine charm.

Her eyes came to rest on the young children who were still playing by the swings. She watched as two of them, a boy and a girl, laughing as the dark haired boy pushed the redhead girl in the swing high in the air. She gave a small smile. Her eyes darted to the woman seeming to call them. At once, the two stopped, and, still laughing, flung themselves at the woman and the man beside her.

_I wonder when I'll be just like that woman… _she thought absently, not registering what she had just thought.

(At this point, Sasuke was shaking like crazy, as though someone poured icy cold water over his head.)

**Fact 7: **Sasuke hardly shook like this.

Sakura decided she couldn't ignore it any longer. There were already seven facts that Sasuke had turned into something like lies. These facts, all along with others, ruled Sasuke and his personality, and this change of his character perturbed her.

They were now alone in the portion of the park, so Sakura didn't worry about causing a scene. She took a deep breath and pulled her hand from Sasuke, though gently, in case he thought she was angry about something, which was not the case.

"Sasuke-kun," she said slowly. He froze. "There's something wrong. I can tell. Please, tell me." She gave him a pleading look. "I told you, if we're going to make this work, we have to be open with each other." She put a hand on his cold cheek, not minding the sweat. "Now, please, tell me."

He took a deep, shuddering breath. "Sakura," he said quickly, grasping her shoulders, surprising her. "This is going to be hard for me."

She gave him a comforting smile. "Take all the time you need."

He breathed slowly, as though he was calming himself down. Sakura's trained nin ears could hear his heart pounding wildly.

Suddenly, he took her hand and knelt in front of her.

"Haruno Sakura," he said as though each word weighed a ton on his tongue, "will you do me the honor of spending each day with me from the moment you wake to the moment you sleep, to nag at me everyday to take walks and eat ramen, to take care of our children to come and help them become the best ninjas and brag to them about the way I am proposing to you, to help me clean up the Uchiha home and wash dishes and cook, to help me restore my clan? In other words, Sakura, will you be my wife?"

With that, he brandished a box in front of her, containing a single golden band set with a single diamond.

**Fact 8: **Sasuke has never proposed to anyone, much less to her.

And even if all the facts Sakura knew of Sasuke had been turned upside down, all was right in the world, in that moment, in that place.

All the facts were accounted for, after all.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun… of course I'll nag and brag and love you for the rest of my life!"

She raised a dazed Sasuke from his knees, took the ring, and kissed him passionately as though there was no tomorrow.

All was right in the world.

* * *

The most constant thing in the world is change.

* * *

**AN: **I do wonder how my boyfriend (if I ever get one) is going to propose to me…

* * *

Anyway, I'd like to respond to people…

**Silver Kitsune6291 **– Yeah, I so totally agree with you, sasusaku rocks my world! Thanks for thinking it's cute! When this idea got into my mind, I thought it was rather cute too!

**kurama-kawai** – Yeah, it was a bit long, wasn't it? Think of it as a pillow-sized marshmallow… Oh, was Sasuke OOC? But I thought I made him as in-character as possible… but you're right, it wouldn't work well if he weren't just a teensy-bit OOC. After all, that chapter was about a change of heart. A lot of fics about SasuSaku are about a change of heart. – smiles – There are a lot of fics I'd like to see in the anime. Anyway, I'm glad you enjoyed! (Anyway, if you need more sasusaku, I have another fic posted… just click my name!) Ciao for now!

**Krissel**** Himura** – Thanks for thinking so! I like NejiTen too, but I'm not so crazy about them as I am about SasuSaku. Anyway, to each her own, right? I never meant for Sasuke to have an inner-Sasuke, that voice was his conscience, but still, I don't mind if people think that. Maybe inner-people are sort of consciences. I dunno.

(PS - Himura? Are you a Rurouni Kenshin fan too? If you are, then kudos to you! Nyao!)

**Kawaii**** Koneko92** – Yupyupyup, fluffy, ne? Mmm, yummy marshmallows…

**psychedelic**** aya** – Clean writing style? I'll take this as a compliment, but I don't really understand what you mean. – laughs psychotically – I'm not as smart as my twin or my onii-sama, so, will you excuse me? - Yup, like **Kawaii**** Koneko92** said, this is meant to be a fluff lover's dream. You and **kurama-kawai** should have a conference… he/she (sorry, I don't know) says that Sasuke was a bit OOC. Ah, I don't mind though. - Yeah, I pride myself for having a good choice of words, 'coz I remember my English teacher saying the same thing about my speech.

Yummei-chan: psychedelic aya, don't mind her. She has a very low self-esteem and needs to brag once in a while.

What? – pummels twin – Trust Yummei-chan to burst my bubble.

**cooldot** – I thought it was a bit too long, and I think you might notice that each part got shorter and shorter as the fic reached its end. But thank you for thinking I did the fic justice! I totally appreciate it. My works have never been described as having good imagery, so I love you for that. Here's more of me!

(That last line was a feeble attempt at a joke. I'm not a very funny person.)

**jess**– I hope this next fic lived up to the cuteness you have come to expect! Hehe!

**Jellybean89 **– THANKS THANKS THANKS! Sankyuu for adding me to your faves! 'Preciate it!

**koori**** no tenshi** – Wow! A fellow Tenshi! Thanks for the compliment!

**Ori** – That was a short review. - More fluffiness ahead! Um, question though, was it okay? (coughfishingforcomplimentscough)

**Princess Sakura Haruno** – You don't have to promise… - Omedeto for being a fellow SasuSaku lover! Here's the next ficcie!

**Oukaru**** Hanako** – You're welcome! - I like light and fluffiness… that explains this fic… Yummei-chan, my twin, likes death and darkness though… Okay, you didn't need to know that. And thank you for adding this to your favorite stories list!

**cuito** – Is that a good or bad thing? Kidding!

For everyone who reviewed, here's a chibi Sasuke rag doll for all of you! – throws the dolls everywhere -

* * *

Some explanations:

When I said all was accounted for, I mean Sakura found a reason for every fact that was upturned.

Reason to:

Fact 1 and 2 and 5: It's, as Sasuke said, blatantly obvious.

Fact 3: He couldn't propose in Ichiraku or over the phone, now could he?

Fact 4 and 6: He was building up the courage, and having second thoughts. Wouldn't anyone, right?

Fact 7: It was a joke.

Right, that's it, I think. Any questions, please ask in a review! Ja ne for now! This Little Angel of Blossoms will be waiting for your review!


	3. Lunch: Peace Amidst War

**AN: **Aiya! I'm back and running!

School's been holding me back lately. I'm not allowed to use the computer for non-school reasons, so I try to fill my fanfiction in whenever I can. I can only do this sort of thing during weekends.

Curse the fact that the Philippines dictates we go to school during June.

Anyway, as it turns out, my Naruto fics are the most successful fics I could ever write, judging from the reviews. Maybe, instead of Rurouni Kenshin, Naruto fics have been my true calling. – smiles sheepishly –

This next one is partly in Kakashi's POV. Guys, he has no interest in Sakura here. I will _not_ make a KakaSaku, may it be one-sided or not. It's only because, hello, they're generations apart. And I don't like teacher-student romance, whetherit be between my fave couples or not. It irks me, because it makes me feel different about mine. And, generally, I don't really like alternate pairings, with a few exceptions. (But to those who like this pairing, don't** flame** me! To each his/her own, right?)

Uh, can I ask a question? **Would you consider SasuSaku a canon (you know, non-alternate) couple? Why?** Tell me in a review!

But, I would. But since the series has yet to end, we can never know for now. But I'd like to know what you think.

Anyway, like I said, it's partly in Kakashi's POV, and he will be fully supportive of SasuSaku. So don't like, don't read. I don't want to get flames because of the coupling I prefer.

For the sake of those who are new to my stories, each chapter are in no way connected to each other unless I say so, which is rare.

**Warning**: A tiny tinge of lime here. Very miniscule. But some people like to make a big deal out of things, so I'll say this now.

This Little Angel of Blossoms presents…

* * *

**Marshmallow 3:**

**Lunch: Peace Amidst War

* * *

**

**Disclaimer**: I am no mangaka. And certainly not one to be compared to Masashi Kishimoto. I could use his talent, though.

* * *

War. 

It's a simple three letter-word, yet a whisper of such would send ordinary people into uneasiness, even panic.

Yet an era was never an era, history was unimportant, and things like countries, borders, and villages would be meaningless without it.

Hatake Kakashi, however, still disliked it.

He was one of the best jounins of Konoha, an ex-ANBU, no less. But all he really wanted to do was relax under the June sun, watch young children frolick in springs and water holes, and immerse himself in the adult novel Icha Icha Paradise.

But no… Tsunade-sama, the Godaime, _had_ to put him in the front lines of battle as a ninja equivalent of a general.

Kakashi sighed as he jumped from tree to tree. He was glad it was his lunch break. He knew he would have to go back to the Hokage's office to discuss with her, along with other elite jounins, the strategies for defense against the next wave of Sound nin attacks, so he had better spend his time wisely.

He stopped at a clearing, his own discovery. In his opinion, it was the perfect spot to meditate, with its calm air, cool breeze, chirping birds, and the sound of the rushing river nearby. It was perfect.

Kakashi plopped down on the grass, savoring the rustling sound that the trees offered him. Without further ado, he opened Icha Icha Paradise and began to read.

It had all been a waste, since his mind wandered off in another direction. Instead of keeping his mind on the story, it wandered to the war with the Hidden Sound Village, which had been going on for about a year now.

It had all started four years back. Orochimaru's top apprentice, Uchiha Sasuke, had decided to desert him in favor of working alone. The then fourteen year-old genius had wandered for two years in search of power until a team of Hunter Nins managed to snap him out of his quest.

They were Tenten, Hyuuga Neji, Nara Shikamaru, Uzumaki Naruto…

…and Haruno Sakura.

Kakshi remembered, as Naruto (and Sakura, though quite embarrassed) had told him, it was her tears that had stopped a curse-enhanced Sasuke from tearing all of them limb from limb.

_Sakura stared with watery eyes at the lone figure coming towards her. All her comrades had fallen. Even though she was often overlooked in battles, as she was more of a medic nin. But she knew her fights._

_But she, too, was on the brink of loss. Though she was the last standing, as she was ignored before, she had already fought more than her share of battle._

_She decided to fight until the very end. She just had to knock Sasuke unconscious and bind him with a chakra rope. Holding up her kunai, she took a defensive stance._

_She dared not attack, not because he was stronger than her tenfold, but because she could never hurt him unless her life or her comrades' depended on it. Much less could she kill him. She loved him too much, a fact that she had tried to deny in the years training as a Hunter Nin._

_Roaring, Sasuke advanced towards her with the ferocity of a beast. Behind her mask, she set her face into a grim expression._

_He made contact. Sakura fended him off her with much difficulty; her chakra depletion and previous wounds were taking their toll on her._

_The battle continued, until Sakura, completely exhausted, cornered, and about to pass out from chakra depletion, had backed away into a tree._

_She closed her eyes and let her tears fall freely. It was the end for her. They had failed to bring Sasuke back. She was going to die in his hands._

_The worst part was, Sasuke would never go back to Konoha, never go back to _her.

_How could he if she was dead?_

_Hurt, despair, anger, hate and love burst out of her chest, all held back after four long years of rigorous training to become a Hunter Nin and take Sasuke back. She spoke her first words to Sasuke after the four incredibly lengthy years._

_"Oh… Sasuke…"_

_At her voice, Sasuke stepped back. He had been going for the kill, but had stopped abruptly, his eyes wide and bewildered._

_"W…who…"_

_As if on cue, Sakura's mask cracked as Sasuke tried to gain control of himself. The ceramic crumbled, and the mask split in half, revealing Sakura's tear-stained face._

_"Sa…Sakura?"_

_The curse seals receded back to the original on as Sasuke took in the sight of Sakura and her tears, streaming from her glistening eyes down to her pale cheeks. Subconsciously, he dropped the kunai he was holding._

_Sakura watched him turn to face the sight behind him, littered with bodies of her teammates, amid her sobs and sniffles. He turned in a manner that he looked confused and slightly frightened._

_"Na… Naru…" he choked out, stuttering, "Naruto's there, isn't he?"_

_Sakura wanted so say yes, or something, or anything at all, but her sobs only rose up from her chest louder. Sasuke snapped his attention back to her._

_His knees gave way. He knelt in front of her, and Sakura watched as he battled himself inside. A wind blew, and her hood slipped off, showing her roseate hair, currently in a practical bun._

_Hesitating, he raised his hand to near her face. Sakura's mind told her to move away, but her heart held her still. Sasuke put his hand on her cheek in a manner unlike him, and brushed away her tears with his thumb._

_"Don't cry," he croaked, as though ha had been using his voice too much._

_Her heart slowly lifted, and a smile began to curl up her face. She knew, in the depths of her heart, mind, and soul, the Sasuke of the quiet days of Konoha was back. For good measure, she jumped into his arms and hugged him tight._

_"Oh Sasuke-kun!"_

_She felt him sigh against her, and she was sure he was smirking._

_"You're so annoying."_

Kakashi smiled as he remembered Sakura (spurred on by Naruto) emotionally give him a blow-by-blow account of the fight, amid worrying about Sasuke's trial for being a missing nin.

He had gotten through.

Kakashi was relieved that Sakura had been able to forgive Sasuke easily. Naruto and the others, however, had a hard time forgetting. Even if both Sasuke and Naruto pretended not to care, they were trying very hard to repair their once-lost friendship, with Sakura's help and his own guidance.

Kakashi also noticed that Sasuke and Sakura had become undeniably closer for the past year or so. No one else may have noticed it, but Sasuke had been a bit more protective with Sakura, since he was protecting her from people who weren't even enemies. He smacked Kakashi slightly as being… possessive. He once had activated his Sharingan and almost sent Aburame Shino to the hospital when he caught said youth doing what Sasuke mumbled was 'undressing Sakura with his eyes.' (Sakura later came to Shino's defense; how could Sasuke see where he was looking when Shino wore dark glasses?)

Also, Sasuke listened to Sakura more, who talked endlessly of anything under the sun that Sasuke might find interesting. They had a certain air of togetherness he couldn't place. They were with each other more than they were with Naruto.

The silver-haired jounin was proud that Sakura had matured well, wise beyond her years. He supposed it was because of all the time she was spending under Tsunade's tutelage. During the years Sasuke was gone, her mood had darkened and her laughs and smiles were often forced. Very few could get a genuine smile from her, and there were even fewer times that the same person could do so. But during the past two years when Sasuke had been there, her cheerfulness was back so suddenly that everyone had to blink and stare before affirming it really _was _Haruno Sakura.

But all was not just happiness with Sasuke back. There was a dark force following him. Orochimaru had gotten wind that his favorite apprentice (or so it seemed) was in Konoha. He brought together a force that, in addition to retrieving Sasuke, was to invade Konoha and claim it for Sound.

As a kind of bargain, Tsunade had allowed the obsidian-eyed young man to live free, in exchange for promising to kill Orochimaru himself, a promise that was to be kept. He immersed himself in training that anyone rarely saw him, except for the former genin team 7, who trained with him on regular basis.

To Sasuke, everything had become work and training. The people who cared for him (and Kakashi had an idea who did the most) wished for him to relax once in a while. But he was as stubborn as a mule, and a man with pride like his did not bend to the same person twice, so not even Sakura could convince him.

Kakashi blinked once, twice. He had been reading and rereading the same page without taking much in. Sighing, he tried to read again, but thoughts of war, Sasuke and Sakura frequently invaded his mind.

After a few minutes of rereading the same page, a loud giggle followed by a low moan penetrated his ears. Startled, Kakashi closed the book and moved towards the sound, as silent as a mouse.

Crouching under a bush, he looked for a hole he could peep through, hoping to find something suggestive – heated bodies, flushed faces, and maybe discarded clothes.

He wasn't disappointed.

But it wasn't what he thought either.

Sakura was there, giggling as she held a fried breaded shrimp with chopsticks. On her lap was a box of bento. Beside her was a glaring (albeit blushing) Sasuke, seemingly taking a break from training, reluctantly chomping down food that the coral-haired kunoichi was apparently feeding him. His own chopsticks lay on his hands unused, and his bento was on a kerchief, steaming and yet to be touched.

It was as suggestive as Sakura and Sasuke could get – for now.

_So THIS is what they're up to, _their former sensei smirked to himself.

"Is it good?" Sakura asked eagerly. Sasuke scowled as he downed water from a bottle.

"I would taste it more if you would let me savor it, not stuff it down my throat all at once," Sasuke snapped, sounding irritated. Sakura giggled again.

"Okay," she amended. "I won't do it again." She grinned, waving the shrimp wedged on the chopsticks. "Say, ahh…" Sasuke glared daggers at her reproachfully, but complied. Sakura smiled and popped the shrimp into his mouth.

"Well?" she prompted, her eyes wide and hopeful. Sasuke's onyx orbs traced semi-circles, as though discerning the taste. He began to nod.

"Mhhmm," he said as he swallowed, "it's better than anything I've ever tasted." Sakura beamed at the compliment as Sasuke eyed her, warmth radiating ever so slightly from his eyes. "You'll make a good wife."

Sakura's reaction was immediate and predictable. "_S-Sasuke-kun_!" she stammered, blushing, her twelve year-old self again. Sasuke smirked. To distract herself, she popped a piece of sushi into her mouth.

Kakashi watched them eat, occasionally teasing each other, and felt a sense of peace. It was always a good sign when a peaceful situation was found in the middle of a war, even if the situation was hardly something to gape about in normal circumstances. And it was even more so when one of the most serious about the war was having fun (though everyone who knew him well knew that he would never admit to such a thing).

He suddenly caught a whiff of the couple's lunch and realized that _he_ hadn't gotten his own grub yet. Resisting the temptation to barge in and take from the two's lunch (he didn't want to ruin their moment) he decided to filch off Kurenai's bento instead.

Sakura and Sasuke may have not known it, but war or not, they had just made Kakashi's day.

It seemed that Sasuke _could _bend his pride more times when it came to Sakura.

* * *

"Is he gone?" 

Sasuke quirked an eye at the chartreuse-eyed medic. "Can't you tell?"

Sakura shrugged, kept her annoyance from showing, picked out another fried shrimp, and forcefully shoved it into Sasuke's mouth. "I just wanted to confirm if we felt the same," she said calmly.

Sasuke glowered at Sakura as he chewed on the shrimp. Sakura grinned mischievously as he swallowed it. "Do you _honestly_ want me to die of choking?" he muttered dangerously.

At this, Sakura laughed. Quick as lightning, Sasuke shot sushi into her open mouth. She shut up, and chewing, she pushed Sasuke playfully in mock anger. He poked her large forehead with chopsticks.

"Itai!" she cried, rubbing her forehead. Sasuke smirked.

"I told you I-" He didn't get to finish his sentence as she shoved a particularly large piece of sashimi in his mouth. He choked on the piece when it got stuck in his throat. He coughed and, giggling again, Sakura kissed him on the cheek. He managed to swallow it. Sakura didn't know if the red on his cheeks were from choking… or from _something _else.

"Silly," she murmured, a laugh dancing in her eyes. Sasuke scowled but said nothing, only shoveling rice down.

After a few moments, Sakura asked tentatively, "So, do you really like my cooking?"

"I wouldn't have said it in front of Kakashi if it wasn't true," Sasuke replied. "Besides, I'm eating, see?" He held the bento up for emphasis.

Sakura smiled cheerfully and began eating quietly. After a few moments, she caught Sasuke staring at her avidly. She blinked, uncomprehending. "What?"

The raven-haired genius smirked. "You have rice right here." He tapped the corner of his mouth to mirror hers. But as she raised her hand to pick it out, he held her hand back. As Sakura searched Sasuke's eyes, she found it full of some naughty intent. She grinned sheepishly, hoping not to be at the brunt of whatever he was planning.

"I'll do it."

Sakura had no time to gasp as Sasuke covered her mouth with his, flicking his tongue to catch the piece of rice.

Sakura savored his taste: shrimp, rice and strangely, vanilla. She liked the way he tasted in her mouth, and she hadn't grown tired of it since he first kissed her like this, about a year or so ago.

From the way she moved her tongue and lips against his to the way she lightly stroked his nape with the very tips of her fingers, Sasuke loved the way Sakura kissed. When he first kissed her, he had been inexperienced (with the obvious exception of that kiss with Naruto, which was hardly acceptable, let alone worthy of remembering), and he ahdn't known she was new to it as well, as he thought she kissed like a pro.

A few minutes later, the two nins surfaced for breath. The almost empty lunches were left forgotten. Sakura rested her head on Sasuke's shoulder. He wrapped an arm around her waist possessively. They both fell into comfortable silence, liking the peace that had fallen between them, thinking not of the war but of the person beside them.

After a while, Sasuke asked vaguely, "Where the hell did you learn how to kiss?"

She looked up at him, grinning, and said, "Only from the best." She turned serious. "So. Now that Kakashi-sensei knows quite a bit, should we tell the others."

"Don't tell," Sasuke instructed. "Show."

"So should we start kissing in public?" Sakura asked, her voice consumed by giggles and her face by red.

Sasuke kissed his roseate-haired girlfriend on the forehead. "It's a start."

* * *

A blessed day is a day of peace in a war.

* * *

**AN: **Okay, it's done! 

To reply to the people who reviewed…

* * *

**kawaii**** kitsune-kun** - He he he... Thought someone would say that... Hope you liked this one! 

**Kawaii**** Koneko92** - You think so? Great!

**AiTenshiKosmos**- Every review I've read so far has the word cute on it. Nyao!

**deity**** of death1** - Were they hilarious? Wow, Never thought they were. Maybe I'm only good at humor when I don't intend to be. Yeah, I think this is an innovation in the SasuSaku fandom, with Sasuke being nervous. Like I said, Sakura found him odd that day.

**angelkicat** - Gee, I hope I live up to your expectations with my plot ideas. Everyone seems to think this story is cute.

**iluvanime493** - Yeah, sure, everyone's been saying it's cute. - smiles - Funny, odd, or funny, humorous? If it's the latter, then I sure have a knack for being funny when I don't intend to be. But when I make jokes, nobody laughs. What is wrong with me? - grins sheepishly - And yeah, I really tried to show that there had been a 'usual' Sasuke before that proposal. I hope you liked this one.

**Princess Sakura Haruno** - Sakura Haruno hime-sama! We meet again! Yap! Filipina ako! Nyao! Ya, thank you kasi nagustuhan mo ang aking stories! I thought, at first, ma-gets niyo na kung bakit siya ni-nerbiyos, pero... looks like medyo mystery at first para sa iyo. I'm glad napa-saya kita. - smiles - Thanks for reading 'Little Uchiha Brats'. Everyone seems to think my writings are cute... Nge, after all, puro fluff ang sinusulat ko. I'm good at fluff. I totally agree na SasuSaku d'best... No, you're not acting like an idiot... Ganun din ako minsan. LOL Sana nagustuhan mo itong chapter! Ciao for now!

**Kaeru**** Soyokaze** - Aww, gee, that's really nice of you to say! I hardly make anyone's day... (Having a major inferiority moment...)

**Winter** - Thanks for thinking this was cool! Hope you review this chapter as well!

**Punk sasuke** - Yup, I'm crazy about those two. Really? You think people like NaruSaku better? I don't think so. At least, I don't want to believe it. SasuSaku is the best pairing in the whole Naruto pairing-dom. I hope you loved this chappie too.

**December Jewel** - Haha! Did you read this? Sweet, huh? Well, they're 'marshmallows'.

**kurama-kawai** - Thanks for the compliment! I'm bursting with happiness with all the compliments I'm receiving! Thanks for enjoying! Your happiness is mine, I tell you. Sorry if this one is shorter than usual, but I hope you like it like all the others! Gosh, I have talent? - squeals excitedly - THANKS!

About the 'Little Uchiha Brats', yeah, I tried to make them as realistic as possible, you know, to put faults and strengths all around. I'm glad it made you a bigger fan. Score again for the SasuSaku pairing!

**hinaru90** - BEAUTIFUL? That's such a strong word... And I take it as a major compliment! Hope you liked this one too! Like I've been telling all the other reviewers, I'm only funny when I don't mean to. Sankyuu ne, Hinaru-chan!

**Krissel**** Himura** - Yay! Score another point for RK! Ngyak, RK ng RK ako, na Naruto itong pinaguusapan. 'Di ko talagang inintend na kakatawa yung fic, pero apparently, maraming natawa. OOC siya sa mata ni Sakura. Hindi naman ni Sasuke inintend maging humorous, pero wala lang talaga siyang magandang verbal skills. It's not like palagi siyang nagsasalita o nagsispeech, so yung 'speech' niya kay Sakura, may pagka-burara. Sana nagustuhan mo rin itong chap!

About dun sa 'Little Uchiha Brats', ya, sipag, no? May pagka-hentai si Sasuke dun, OOC na naman siya, pero... I like it! Uhuh, sexy seductive Sasuke! Gimme one for my birthday! Pinadami ko ang anak nila para lahat ng characteristics ng usual na mga anak sa mga story nandoon. May isang gaya ng dad, may isang sassy, may isang quiet na babae, may isang trouble maker, may isang kyut. Yup, Shinnosuke with a double 'n'. Yung Shinnosuke,kinuha ko sa isang fic na may anak si Sanosuke (RK) na pangalan Sasuke at Shinnosuke. Like I said, random fic lang ito, try ko lang tanggalin sa isip ko...

**Oukaru**** Hanako** - So sweet, that I could get a cavity. Fluffy fluffy fluffy. I have TALENT? That's the second time I got that compliment! GOsh. And I was feeling so inferior to my classmates this morning. Thanks for uplifting my morale! Hope you liked this one!

To all those who reviewed, you get an Inflatable Itachi! – passes it around -

* * *

You know, I'm feeling a little down right now. I mean, yeah, this fic is my most successful, but after reading some really good ones a while ago, I kind of feel inferior to them. They got into C2 archives, for goodness sake. Does that tell you something? 

(Okay, having a major silliness fest slash inferiority bash.)

An explanation... Kakashi said that Sasuke and Sakura seemed to be a bit closer about a year or so ago, right? And Sasuke and Sakura started kissing about a year ago too, right? So, if you fill in the blanks...

They've been dating about a year already without telling anyone.

If you need to ask a question, put it in a review! It's the best thing you can do!

Come on, you know you want to press that little purple button that says 'go' to review…

NYAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!


	4. Birthday: I'll Wait Year After Year

**AN**: Hey guys! Welcome to my new fanfic! This is probably the hardest SasuSaku I've ever written. It's a cross between fluff and angst. Sorry all you fluff lovers out there! It's not dark, but it _is _rather angsty. But I promise you, there be a lot of fluff to compensate for the angst!

Every time it's Sakura's birthday, there's a mystery guy who gives her really really nice gifts. This story's going to be a sort of collective of these happenings… Sorry, if I explain more, I'll give away everything!

Read on and tell me what you think, peeps!

**Warning:** Implied NaruHina, NejiTen, and ShikaIno. If you're going to flame me because of my choice of secondary pairings (which are my secondary favorites) then think twice before you read.

* * *

**Marshmallow 4:**

**Birthday: I'll Wait Year After Year

* * *

**

**Disclaimer**: I can only wish I owned anything aside from my brains.

* * *

Thirteen.

In less than twenty-four hours, Sakura would be waking up as a thirteen year old. The thought alone made her giddy with excitement. Tomorrow, she would officially be a teen.

The pink-haired kunoichi knew her friends and family were preparing for a celebration. She knew her mother was slaving over a hot stove, her father was wrapping her gift, and her friends had individual plans for her.

She knew Naruto was saving up to take her for ramen during lunch. Ino had told her both of them would go to a parlor to be pampered like stars, while Hinata had stammered shyly that she would prepare something she made herself for Sakura.

Vaguely, she thought of what Sasuke would give her.

Something tugged at her heart as a familiar stinging feeling reached her eyes. Of course. Sasuke had deserted Konoha. And even if he didn't, it was possible he'd even forget her birthday, let alone give her a gift.

Sakura gave a hearty sniff, but shook her head. No. She was supposed to get over him. She was entering her teenhood, so she believed she must abandon her childishness. And she was positive her crush on Sasuke was childish.

She let out a deep shuddering breath and settled herself into her covers. She slipped into uneasy dreams about the subject of her infatuation and his departure.

_I'll do anything for you... I love you ... I would kill for you... I love you so much... I'll scream... Revenge will bring no happiness..._

_I love you..._

_Thank you..._

"Sasuke-kun..." she moaned in her sleep, tears on her lashes. She reached out, but her hands only met thin air.

_But wait._

Sakura thought vaguely she had brushed something warm... like flesh. _Sasuke__-kun?__ Is it really..._

She opened her eyes slowly. Realizing her thoughts, she sat up quickly, her eyes trying to adjust. She looked around her room, but saw no one. "No," she said aloud. "I only thought I was still dreaming."

_I only dreamt that Sasuke-kun was in my room._

Then why did she feel as though someone had brushed her cheek lightly with calloused fingers?

Shaking her head, she went to shut the window.

She blinked. Her window was closed when she went to bed. Why was it open? Realizing it could be a robber, she flicked on her light and scanned her room for any missing valuables.

Her chartreuse eyes rested on a small pink box which certainly wasn't in her room when she went to bed. Tentatively, she went to her table and ran a finger on the box's soft pink wrapping. The box was quite small; it was hardly the side of a shoe box. Attached to it was a tag labeled "For Sakura." In delight and with utmost care, she unwrapped the gift, careful not to tear the wrapping. She lifted the box's lid.

What met her eyes made her eyebrows go way into her hairline, which was a big deal considering the breadth of her forehead.

Resting on the bottom of the box was a card that said "For Sakura," and a small gold-chained bracelet with a single charm.

Cheerfully, she took the card first, and opened it delicately. Inside was a simple note:

"Happy 13th birthday, Sakura."

On the side facing the note was a small pressed wildflower. It was charming in its simplicity. Oddly enough, there was no note that could have told her from who it was from. She turned and turned the card, but no such luck.

With growing disconcertment, she took the bracelet from the box. Whoever gave this to me didn't know these things should contain more than one charm. She looked at it fondly, letting the red cherry charm catch light. It is rather pretty, though.

She didn't know who would give her something like this. She knew it couldn't be Naruto, nor Ino, nor Hinata. It couldn't have been Lee; Sakura knew he would have it with more pish-posh and extravagance, and the presentation just the same. Kakashi-sensei also wasn't a possible choice; he had told her that afternoon he would be giving her a scroll of special medical jutsus. She furrowed her brow. Who would give me something like this?

She gasped.

No way. It can't be. It just can't be.

She put on the bracelet, turned off the light, and went to bed, but not actually seeing what she was doing.

It couldn't have been.

But in her heart, she knew who gave her the bracelet with the single charm.

Looking out the window and caressing her new trinket, she whispered, "Thank you, wherever you are."

* * *

Fourteen.

Everyone seemed to think that fourteen was the age of teen maturity. Anyone who was fourteen was expected to act like a grown up. Adults seemed to think they could handle a little more responsibility than usual. Some chuunins of that age were allowed to tutor Academy students and a few genins as well.

Sakura thought of all these things as she lay in bed, excited with the new opportunities her age as of the next day would bring her. Kakashi-sensei had promised that he would find her a job as a gift.

She had spent a busy day preparing for her party. Food, decorations, invitations, more food... there had been much to do, and her parents offered to finish up for her.

Sakura held up her wrist and admired, for the umpteenth time, the bracelet with only one charm. Memories flooded her mind. _He_ still hadn't come back, and Sakura was positive that the bracelet was both a birthday and a parting gift.

She was content with it. Ino kept badgering her to buy a few more charms, even offering some of her own, but being a sentimental one, Sakura wouldn't hear of it. _He_ gave it to her with one charm, and it was to stay as such.

Or so she thought.

Her dreams were once again of calloused hands tracing patterns on her skin. The dream occurred so often, Sakura was not bothered by it.

But this time, it seemed real.

She started, and the hands disappeared. Before she could open her eyes, she heard the curtains rustle. She blinked to get the spots from her eyes. She sat up quickly and turned on the light.

Scanning her room, she found a small box wrapped in pink, and beside that sat a card that said, "For Sakura."

She felt like laughing out loud. Excitedly, she unwrapped the box, which was the size of a box that could contain an engagement ring. Inside, on a white cushion, sat another charm, this time, in the shape of a high heeled shoe.

She was beaming as she carefully attached the charm to her bracelet. It was sweet of _him_ to give her a follow-up gift like this. She then turned to the card inside the box. Again, the message was the same, with only one alteration:

"Happy 14th birthday, Sakura."

She brightened even more when she found another wildflower pressed on the paper. But yet again, no name of any sender could be found. But she knew. She felt. She often listened to her heart, and even if her heart was wrong at times, this was one thing her heart and mind agreed on. It was _he_.

* * *

Fifteen.

The Godaime often told her that fifteen was believed to be a warrior's coming of age. Sakura was proud that even after so many death defying situations she managed to reach her coming of age as a warrior.

As a warrior, she had accomplished much. She was a commendable tutor of Academy students. She had bested Shizune in apprenticeship with the Godaime, and the older one did not begrudge it. She, Naruto, and a few others had already begun training for the Jounin Exams, which Kakashi even told them was an achievement; most people would start training at seventeen.

As she closed her eyes, she thought distractedly about a certain missing nin. _Is he training for the Jounin Exams too? If he is, will we be meeting him?_

_I miss you… Sa… su…_

It was a beautiful summer's day. The sky was blue, the breeze was cool, and the birds were singing beautiful songs. Sakura lifted her face to look at him as he talked to her quietly about intelligible things. He cupped her cheek and she leaned into his hand. It felt so warm, so caring, so loving… She closed her eyes. It felt wonderful.

When she opened her eyes again, her eyes met the dark, and the warm hand had vanished. She raised a hand to her cheek. It still felt warm.

She knew then what was going on. She flicked on her light, and surely, on her tabkle was a familiar pink box, with a card that said, "For Sakura."

Is it going to be a charm again? She never got tired of receiving a single charm year after year. She loved the tradition. Ceremoniously, she unwrapped the box and opened it. On the soft cushion was a pink and blue candy charm. She giggled in delight. It was sweet on a whole new level.

She knew most people would want a quirky message or a passion-filled poem, but this short message, this "Happy 15th birthday, Sakura" she now read, came from the heart. It was everything anyone could ever ask for in a message. She understood now that it was his last grasp onto humanity, onto his past. And her heart soared with the thought that she was his last resort.

* * *

Sixteen.

Everyone called it "sweet sixteen". For whatever reason, Sakura didn't know, but she was happy she turned sixteen just the same.

Everyone had grown exponentially, in physical attributes, and in skill and power. All her friends had grown more mature, even, Naruto, to some extent. A lot of her friends had fallen into relationships as well. Naruto and Hinata had been going strong for almost a year, Shikamaru, thanks to Ino's prodding, was not much of a slacker anymore, and even the stoic Hyuuga Neji was seen taking a walk with Tenten, holding hands as they went.

Ah, there was that snag. _Sakura_ wasn't in a _real _relationship.

The night before her sixteenth birthday, she had gotten nothing from _him_. No present, no note, no _nothing_. She had expected it to be an annual ritual, but now it seemed it was not to be so. It had saddened her quite a bit, but she supposed she should have not expected. She couldn't demand a gift, after all. But it was disappointing; her charm collection had been growing. In fact, at the party earlier that day, Ino had asked her if she had a new charm. (Sakura had paled; had she noticed that she had a new charm every year?)

She dressed into her nightclothes, not bothering to take off her bracelet. She hardly took it off ever since it was given to her, and she only did when she had to handle water. Not even training or missions could make her take it off. She was careful, of course, not to lose it; she couldn't bear to lose her last connection with him.

She curled up in bed and dreamt of calloused hands moving around her cheeks.

A cold wind blew at her blanket, exposing her legs to the cold. Half-asleep, she stood up and went to the window to close it. Of course, even half-asleep, Sakura noticed something amiss.

Her windows were never closed when she was asleep, which meant...

She whipped around to look at her desk. Even with only the moonlight as her guide,she saw the small box wrapped in pink, and the card that said, "For Sakura."

He didn't forget! He didn't miss my birthday! He may be late... but what matters is that he did give it to me!

The card contained its usual message and pressed wildflower. She unwrapped the box. Inside, on the white cuhion, was not one, but two charms. It was almost as if the other one was for an apology for being late.

A golden sun and a silver moon sat on the cushion, shining in Luna's light.

It was certainly a sweet sixteen.

* * *

Seventeen.

Sakura had mixed feelings about this age. She was appy because soon, she would be independent, and that she as considered full grown. But at the same time, she was nostalgic, because she would be soon saying goodbye to childhood forever.

Sakura had grown from her genin days. No longer was she the wispy, big foreheaded girl with no womanly shape of old. Now she had perfect curves, full breasts, and long legs, and she had grown into her forehead. She had more than her share of suitors, but she did not choose any of the, only going on occassional adtes with some. She didn't want to go steady with anyone; she knew in her heart, mind and soul that the boy she now knew she loved with great intensity was going to come back somehow. Of course, it did not mean she wasn't jealous of all the blossoming relationships around her.

This year, she herself planned her birthday celebration. Shae had cooked, decorated, and did everything for her party. Now, she lay in bed, exhausted. But she couldn't sleep. Not when she knew _he _was coming.

She closed her eyes and made her breath even. She knew he was coming soon, but she had to pretend she was asleep. She felt like a child waiting for Father Christmas to appear. She wanted to see for herself who was giving her gifts, but she knew if he knew she was awake, she might scare him away.

But then she began feeling sleepier and sleepier, so that she couldn't keep pretending to be asleep, but falling deeper into real sleep. But it was not so deep a sleep that she couldn't vaguely hear light footsteps, feel a gaze upon her, and savor the warmth that gentle fingers left upon her face. Subconsciously, she instructed herself not to open her eyes until she heard any telltale sign that he had gone.

As sure as cats purr and dogs bark, she heard the curtains rustle. Slowly, she roused herself from sleep. As though it was a ritual, she got up, scanned the perimeter of her room, turned on the light, and found the box with the pink wrapping and the card next to it.

It may have been a ritual, but she appreciated it and enjoyed it. She was in love, she had no doubt about that fact, and she was still falling, of that she was even surer of. Her feelings whenever she received her gift still didn't change, still like a rainbow after the rain, like sunshine during the summer.

She just wished she could see him, just one.

She laid her new glass teardrop charm on her palm and wished with all her heart that she would see him soon.

* * *

Eighteen.

Sakura was now almost officially an adult. The next day, she would be of legal age in Konoha. She would become independent. In fact, as a gift, her parents bought her an apartment in which she would move in the next day, on her birthday.

It was her last night as a kid, and her last night in her room. She felt nostalgic as she recalled so many childhood memories spent in that certain place. It felt as though she was saying goodbye to a dear friend forever. Of course, her mother had told her that she was welcome to go back into her room any old time, in between lamentations that her only child would become an old maid for lack of boyfriends.

She had spent the whole night playing board games, listening to loud music, and whipping Naruto's behind at video games, in celebration of her last night as a minor. She could hardly remember being this exhausted just because of playing around, and collapsed right away into bed, not even bothering to change.

Her sleep was so deep that she still thought she was dreaming when soft lips brushed her forehead.

"Mhmm… Sasuke-kun…" she murmured happily in her sleep. In the depths of her dreams, she heard a familiar chuckle, having no idea it was real. She gave a small smile in her slumber.

Her eyes fluttered open right after the curtains rustled, signaling _he_ had left. Too sleepy to turn on the light, she took the box wrapped in pink and the card from her desk and opened it right in bed. Even after all these years these gifts, however plain, still gave her great elation.

She opened the crisp card, which contained it's usual wildflower. But the message had been changed.

In the moonlight, she read, "Happy 18th Birthday, Sakura. Grow up."

She giggled. It was typical of him. Always straightforward, if not downright rude.

"Don't worry, she said, the laughter still in her voice as she fingered the bluish silver rose charm he had given her. "I've grown up more than you can tell."

* * *

Nineteen.

It was one year since Sakura became an adult. She was to be nineteen the next day.

That afternoon, she had sat on the floor of her apartment and leafed through albums, report cards, scrolls and other memorabilia. She had marveled at how everyone had grown, how she had grown. She never ceased to wonder. After all, as she had observed, all these changes around her had been all too subtle. Once in a while, they still all acted like kids.

But everyone seemed wiser, stronger, more skillful, now that she compared the then and now. They were all jounins now, and some of them, she included, had tried out for the ANBU. Naruto was training for Hokage status more vigorously than ever. He had managed to reach of goal of attaining the respect of all, even without becoming the most important person in the village, yet he still persevered. The Hyuuga patriarch, Hinata's father, felt honored that his daughter was Naruto's soon-to-be bride, or so Hinata had told them, no longer as shy as before. They would wed in two more years, right after her cousin Neji's own marriage to Tenten. Everyone agreed to pitch in, even the infamous slacker Shikamaru, but only after Ino burst into tears when he vehemently refused.

Sakura smiled, happy to note that all her friends were contented with their respective relationships. She, however, had no lover to speak of, since it seemed her gift-giver wanted everything that happened between them a secret, and he only came once a year anyway, to give her the charms she now came to expect, early or late.

Her bracelet was now considered full of charms, for now, she had seven. She couldn't wait for the next one to be given to her. But she hoped that just once, he would allow her to catch a glimpse of him, and to speak to him.

She went to bed and fell asleep quickly, her dreams nothing but a sound of a thousand birds, onyx orbs, spinning red wheels, and red and white fans.

* * *

She had nothing. She didn't receive a gift.

Sakura had woken up in the middle of the night, expecting her box wrapped in pink and her card that said, "For Sakura", but it wasn't there.

_Did he forget? Did he think I took my gifts for granted? _She looked at the charms on her wrist worriedly. _It can't be. He _must_ know I love and appreciate what he does greatly!_

Then she remembered that he had been late in giving her a gift once before. _Yes, that must be it. He's late, that's all. Or he doesn't know I live here now. Maybe I should check my old room tomorrow._

But although she had reassured herself with perfectly plausible reasons, she still fell into an uncomfortable sleep when she closed her eyes once more.

* * *

All day long, Sakura could not get the odd feeling in her stomach that had nothing to do with what she ate. The fact that she had not received word from him, even when she checked her room at her parents' home, made her feel frightened to some extent.

Naruto often asked her what was wrong, and Ino would cast her a worried look every now and then, during the course of their little get-together with all her other friends. Hinata put the back of her hand against her rose-haired friend's forehead ever so often, Tenten asked if something or someone was bothering her, and Lee commented that she looked as though she had lost her fire of youth. She had all brushed these worries of her friends aside, stating that she had a late night (which was not entirely untrue), and her disposition mustn't stop them from having fun.

But this was amidst her wondering if something had happened to _him_, and when she would feel him rough but gentle digits caressing her face again.

* * *

Sakura couldn't sleep that night, even in the tiredness she felt. She tossed and turned, feeling that unless _he_ would come, she would not be able to rest.

She_ knew_ it had to be that night. If it wasn't then, it was never to come. She desperately tried to push it away into the back of her mind, but she could not. She was desperate, and she could not get that negative vibe to go away either. What wasn't he coming? What was keeping him? Why wasn't he in her room laying down a gift for her and touching her cheek?

Gradually, she fell into sleep due to sheer physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion. But her mind would not let her rest and filled her dreams with death, destruction, despair, dread, and fear.

* * *

Sakura could not give up, even as wretchedness and fear sank her spirit and ate through her heart. She kept her eyes and ears peeled for any unusual news that may have something to do with _him_. She would stay up every night to wait for him, so that during mornings she would have bags under her eyes, She could not eat nor sleep anymore, not while she was aware that their connection had been somehow destroyed. She could not live with that. She had fallen into deep depression, something her friends could not alleviate, if they could even detect it, as she kept her cheerful façade up.

A week from her birthday, after vigilantly trying to catch news, Sakura heard something astonishing.

All the Sound nins had been wiped off the face of the earth. Not one, it seemed, was left in the Sound Village. Not one, not even Kabuto, not even Orochimaru.

She feared for _him_.

* * *

Sakura was on the verge of a breakdown. Her body ached, her mind felt like water, and her chest felt tight. But despite her condition, she requested, even begged, the Godaime for her to be part of the team to investigate the scene, and Tsunade agreed, albeit reluctantly.

She was now two days into the mission, and she was growing hysterical. She could not find any trace of him. Among the rotting and burnt corpses she had to perform autopsies on, he was not included.

No matter how much she worked, no matter how much she tried to forget, the thought of him would not leave him. From the waking hours when she tagged bodies and investigated the cause of the genocide to the sleeping hours when she tossed and turned inside her tent, all her thoughts lead to he who had betrayed Konoha seven years ago.

Even if she was about to tear apart with all the negative feelings she felt, she managed to keep her cool on the surface. As one of the best medic nins Konoha had to offer, she was one of the people who lead the forensic investigations on the bodies, and she couldn't break down, not when her services were needed.

A lot of the corpses already stank, and even more were scorched, body parts reduced to ashes. It looked as though whoever had killed the whole village did so wit the ferocity of a beast. Bodies looked slashed, clawed, and cooked. Some of the houses were burnt to the ground or reduced to rubble. It looked as though an army had swept the village, but judging from the patterns of the killings, only one person did it all. As much as Sakura hated the Sound, she couldn't help but feel pity.

Sakura's bracelet jingled and caught light as it's owner worked almost tirelessly and nonstop. It didn't match the depression Sakura felt.

* * *

After five days of rigorous investigation, Sakura went back to Konoha, bushed and looking as bad as she felt; her hair was askew and limp, her eyes had bags under them, and she looked sickly and pale.

All the hope she had was lost. She had not found him, and what was more painful was the fact that he was the suspect to the genocide. But the most painful thing of all was that he had not given her anything. Their connection was broken.

She felt so tired and downhearted that she did not notice the odd whispering of the people around her as she trudged down to the Hokage's office to report. She did not notice anything strange as she entered the office, not even when it seemed the stares and whispers were directed to her.

Tsunade listened emotionlessly as Sakura skimmed the details of their investigation, ending with giving her a scroll of the entire report. Tsunade scanned it and nodded.

"It all seems accurate," she observed. "Everything is in order." She eyed her second apprentice pityingly. "You look worse for wear, Sakura. Why don't you go home and rest?" She smiled. "I'm sure it will do you a lot of good. You've been worried about _him_ for quite a while now. You can give the matter a rest."

Sakura almost gasped, but thought better of it. How did the Godaime know? "Pardon me, Tsunade-sama?" she stammered.

Tsunade laughed gently, which was uncharacteristic of her. "Nothing, nothing. Now get on home."

Sakura nodded silently and ambled on home. She felt strange, weak. She felt a thousand times worse than when he used to reject her.

And it only meant… her heart lay broken… pulverized.

She entered her apartment. As soon as she closed the door, she leaned on it and slumped to the floor, fatigued and feeble. She felt as though a dam had broken open in her chest, letting out all the stress and pent-up feelings she had suffered the past few days. Tears flooded her olive eyes and fell to her ivory cheeks. It was all too much, too much for her to handle. The smart, kind, beautiful, _strong,_ almost perfect Haruno Sakura was after all, quite weak inside. She was no warrior. She was nineteen, but inside, she was twelve.

She covered her face with her hands, sobbing her heart out. Crystalline tears slipped down to her charm-filled bracelet, and she rested her head on her knees, so that she could see nothing but her tearstained hands. She didn't want to see anything anymore; everything made her long for him, making her even more depressed.

"Hey."

"Wha-at?" she choked, still sobbing into her hands and not bothering to look up. "I-I'm not in the mood, okay? I'm not in the m-mood for a-anything, okay, N-naruto… or w-whoever you a-are…"

"I'm not Naruto."

Sakura stopped at mid-sob. That voice… now that she listened to it, it _didn't_ sound like Naruto at all. It sounded strange, but oddly familiar.

It couldn't be. It was, in fact, _too_ familiar. It couldn't be. _He_ had left, and crushed her heart, and gave her gifts year after year, but always kept out of her sight. There was no way. But… it was… entirely possible…

She looked up, not daring to believe it, and her emerald eyes met warm obsidian, no longer icy.

"You…" she breathed. "You're…" Her heart began to beat faster and faster, and her breath began to come in small pants.

He smirked, an old mannerism. "You seem surprised to see me." His expression softened. "Don't cry, now," he soothed. "Tears look bad on you." He brushed a rough but gentle thumb across her cheek to wipe away a tear.

"You're back…" she murmured. The realization sank in as she stared at him, taking in his amused expression. Her heart felt lighter and lighter by the second. She jumped into his arms, fresh tears streaming out of her eyes.

"Oh, Kami, Sasuke-kun, you're back!"

She sobbed into his dark blue shirt, feeling his warmth all around her as he held her close.

She hiccupped into his chest. "Y-you bastard! You… you… how could you… come back this… this _late_? I hate you, you know that? I hate you… f-for making me worry… s-so mu-uch! I missed you so much! Kami, I love you so so v-very much that I-I hate y-you… for not coming back sooner! I… I still l-love you, you know! Oh, God, _Sasuke__-kun_!"

Sakura, even while she cried, felt like a bird spreading it's wings, like all the songs and tales she had ever heard, like summer rain after a long drought. After a very long time, she at last felt truly happy and relieved.

She moved back and took a better look at him. Sasuke looked better than ever. His raven hair still fell into his eyes and the back part still stuck out, but it looked better on him now. His onyx eyes were warmer, and his face was chiseled to look more manly, yet boyish at the same time. His muscles were more well-defined now, and he was a head taller than her. He caught her staring, and she blushed, her twelve year-old self once more. He rolled his eyes.

"So annoying."

They knelt there, exchanging no words, only looks that said much. So many questions were raring to get out of Sakura's mouth. But as of then, they were unimportant.

But there was one question that couldn't wait.

Sakura held up her right wrist, letting the bracelet and it's charms dangle in the air. "Sasuke-kun, where's…?" she asked playfully, grinning.

"You knew it was me?" Sasuke asked, a half-smile on his face. He gave a small chuckle. "Well then…" He drew out of his pocket a slightly crumpled card that said "For Sakura", and a box wrapped in pink. Sakura took them with eager but careful hands. She opened the card. Inside was a wildflower pressed on the paper, and a message:

"Happy 19th Birthday, Sakura." She smiled and opened the box next.

Inside was simple silver heart.

"I'm sorry I didn't get to give this to you earlier," Sasuke now explained, sounding as guilty as only Uchiha Sasuke could. "You might have heard about the Sound-"

"Ssh," Sakura interrupted gently, putting a finger on his lips. "I'm going to sound stupid, but you're all the birthday gifts I really wanted all these years." Tears of joy sprang up in her eyes again as she smiled. "I'm… I'm just glad you're back."

Nothing mattered anymore. Not how Sasuke got there, not how he had been giving her gifts, or where he had gotten them, in the past years, not how the Godaime and the other people knew he had come back, not how he still might have a trial for being a missing nin. Only _he_ mattered to Sakura now, as they shared a moment, a hug, a kiss.

Only they mattered. Everythin else was nothing. They, to each other, were everything.

A bracelet and its charms tinkled in the night.

* * *

The best thing that anyone could receive, in any day, is pure love from that special someone, that someone for you.

* * *

**AN: **It's done! Yippeee! Sasuke's a bit OOC, but that's just to show he has changed over the years too. Ooh, ooh, gotta make this quick…

To reply to people…

* * *

**December Jewel** – I'm thinking of writing an omake that's a sequel to the third chapter. I hope you liked this one as well!

**Nadyell** – Here's another one-shot! I'm thinking of posting it at springpaperfan… anyway, thanks for reviewing "Little Uchiha Brats" too!

**Brans **– Good on you, then! Thanks for thinking this collection is not really that bad! Looking forward to your next review!

**Oukaru Hanako** – I'm glad I found a kindred spirit in you. I like all the pairings you mentioned too. Thanks for saying all those nice things about my fics! Luv ya!

**Kawaii Koneko92** – I hope you're not disappointed with this one either!

**Randomness** – Like I told December Jewel, I'm thinking of making an omake that's a sequel to the third chapter, and maybe it'll appear in the future chappies. Yup yup yup, I feel honored, all right. Thanks a lot!

**b4bymelody** – Everyone thinks my writings are cute… I'm glad you seemed to like it!

**Presea Combatir** – Exactly my sentiments.

**Punk sasuke** – Too bad about that, but I'm still for SasuSaku forever! Nyahahahaha! I know, I like Sasuke a lot here too!

**psychedelic aya** – Oh, I love compliments! Makes me feel very very happy, yes, precious. Thanks talaga sa mga words mo, ha? 'Kaw yung kind of person na nagpapainspire sa akin! Hope you like this one too!

**sweetmaiden** – Ya think? Thanks! Hope you liked this one too!

**Krissel Himura** – 'Canon' means yung usual pairing, as in yung gusto ipalabas ng gumawa ng certain na anime. Don't worry, pareho lang tayong idiot. Buti na lang gusto mo rin nito… May nabasa na rin akong story na Neji na naughty, pero nakalimutan ko na yung title. Yung last update ko at ito, pareho lang na may halong dark stuff.

**Ang3l-blue** – I might! Hint hint…

**Princess Sakura Haruno **– I know, right? Yup yup! Possessive Sasuke! Gimme one for my birthday! Thanks for the review! Luv ya too!

**Jellybean89 **– That's okay, you reviewed now, right? I'm so happy! Thanks a lot!

**Little Minamino** – Here's the next chappie for you!

**ArishaGinkaze** – Thanks! I really do a lot of spell-checking and editing before I post anything… Thanks for the really great compliments!

**Hinaru90** – I will continue! Oh, sorry, I don't do ShikaTema… really sorry about it! I just don't feel ShikaTema-ish… Sorry for the ShikaIno… I fell them more… To each his/her own, right?

**Momiru-chan** – Omigod, don't die on me! Anyway, thanks for the review! You brighten up my day!

**Bittersweetdreams** – Nah, I don't think I would have noticed if I was in the 3rd chap, but then I'm very stupid. They didn't notice because they were only slightly closer and Kakashi-sensei kind of is more observant than anyone. I hope this is kawaii for you!

**pigeon - **It really is too early to consider, but that's okay. Thanks and I hope you review again!

**Dark Adonis** –Yup, hyper din ako masyado, sometimes, I feel all that energy inside me na ang magawa ko na lang is bounce up and down! Thanks! I'm hardly an idol of anyone, so happy ako sa nasabi mo!

For everyone who reviewed, here's a Sakura-shaped pen! Luv lots!

* * *

Anyway, thanks everyone! Just review if you need to ask! This Little Angel of Blossoms has to sign off for now! 


	5. Doll: So Much Trouble

**AN:** It's another fic I can't get out of my head. This isn't the real story, just the omake. See? In bold letters?

**O-MA-KE.**

You guys are going to absolutely kill me for this.

Tenshi no Hana-chan presents…

* * *

**Omake: The Epic Battle

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: **Masashi Kishimoto-sensei is much too creative and sensible to make a fic like this.

* * *

Noise, noise, and more noise. It was all Sakura could take as she closed her eyes, not wanting to watch anymore. The screaming, roaring, and howling were enough to tell her what was going on.

Finally, Itachi was down.

"It's over, _niisan_."

It really was over, as Sakura found out when she opened her eyes fearfully, as Itachi had his hands bloodied and broken, unable to use any jutsu, even with the Sharingan activated, and it also looked as though his enormous reserve of chakra was down as well. Sasuke had pinned him to the ground, kunai to Itachi's throat. Both Uchihas were bloodied and bruised, but it was clear who was swimming in a pool of his own blood. Sakura watched the two brothers with mingled fear and pity. So it was all down to this. One would kill the other, and the one who killed would go back to the village with her.

But still…It was still painful for her to see that Sasuke would kill his own brother. It was just as she had said to him before he left Konoha: revenge would bring no happiness. 

Itachi smiled wearily. "It seems you have grown much stronger, little brother, even without the Mangekyou Sharingan… you managed to beat me without it…"

"Cut to the chase so I can end this now," Sasuke snapped, though his voice held something that was akin to reluctance. "Any last words?"

Itachi sighed tiredly.

"Will you allow me to sing my favorite song?" 

Sakura blinked from where she was slumped. A song was a strange request, and even stranger when it came from Uchiha Itachi, who to her was the epitome of seriousness, aside from Sasuke.

"Fine," Sasuke growled, annoyance creeping to his face so quickly it put cheetahs to shame.

"You could learn from it," Itachi said quietly. "Even Father sang it before he died."

At the word 'father', Sasuke froze. Itachi appeared content he was listening. He coughed blood, then took a deep breath before imparting the wise words of the song to Sasuke.

_Ten million bottles of beer on the wall, ten million bottles of beer… _  
_you__ take one down and pass it around, _  
_nine-million__ nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety nine bottles of beer on the wall! _

_Nine-million nine hundred ninety-nine thousand nine hundred ninety nine bottles of beer on the wall…

* * *

_

**AN: **I just turned an epic battle into a joke. It was sooo serious at first… but… that's the way jokes go, right? Hard core Naruto fans will drive stakes into my heart. Especially those who value the sanctity of war stories and the battlefield.

But…I couldn't get it out of my mind! WAAAAAHHH! Don't kill me! – runs away from rabid Naruto fans with various weapons in their hands - 

The song is a very _very_ weird song. I got the idea because I was singing 'One Hundred Bottles' and thought of a good joke when my sister said that it would take forever for the song to end. This song… is actually '-insert number- Bottles', depending on your capacity. You just sing it over and over until you get to 'no more bottles of beer on the wall'. So I imagine Itachi was singing until Sasuke just shriveled and died. But then Itachi would have died because of wearing out his lungs. I take it Sakura would die because of laughing. And so it all ended in tragedy.

_Yeah, riiiiight._

You know, there's another song that never ends. The title is, well, 'The Song That Never Ends'. I just can't remember the lyrics, and '100 Bottles' is much more popular.

**OKAY**! The real chapter begins! 

This one is about a certain elf doll. I patterned it from my imou-chan. Not my real imou-chan, just my friend whom I treat as a lil sis. (Ah, she _is_ little in stature.) Someone said she sort of looks like an elf because of the way her ears curve, and she probably is more so 'coz she's short.

Our favorite couple is going on a date to a carnival, and Sasuke wins Sakura a little elf doll, that becomes precious to her because of a reason you will only know when you read the fic… and it causes so much trouble…

**Warning:** I know you all support SasuSaku somehow, but this chapter will contain hints of NaruHina and ShikaIno. If you will flame me for liking these couples, you have another think coming.

Without further ado…

* * *

**Marshmallow 5:**

**Doll: So Much Trouble

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: **Like I said, Masashi Kishimoto is much more sensible than I could ever hope to be.

* * *

"Oiiiiii! Sakura-_chaaaan_! Sasuke-_temeeeeeeeeeee_!" 

Sakura, who had been chatting animatedly with Sasuke (or _to_ Sasuke, as the Uchiha prodigy didn't seem to talk) on the bridge where the former genin squad Team 7 usually met, snapped her attention to the sixteen year old fox, who was waving furiously and excitedly at them.

Sasuke regarded his best friend and rival coolly. "Shut up, dobe."

"Who are you calling dobe, _teme_?"

"You, dobe."

"Why you… you cold-hearted bastard!"

"Shut up, dead-last."

Sakura frowned disapprovingly. "Now, you guys, it's only nine in the morning. No need to get so cheerful." She turned her chartreuse eyes to Naruto, her expression softening. "So, why are you shouting so early in the morning?"

Naruto, who had been glaring at the stoic Uchiha, turned to grin goofily at Sakura. "There's going to be a carnival tonight! Near the market!"

Sakura lit up. "Wow! It's been such a long time since the carnival stopped over at Konoha! It's going to be so much fun!"

Sasuke snorted. "You two are acting like children."

Sakura blushed embarrassedly, but managed to make a comeback, saying, "We _are _under 18. Technically, we're still kids in Konoha."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the medic nin. "Yes, but you two are acting like immature ten-year olds." Sakura looked hurt.

Naruto, noticing this (take note that this was one of the few things the blond notices), went, "That's okay, Sakura-chan, at least we know how to act like kids once in a while. Sasuke-teme is just plain rude."

"Ch." The Sharingan user, however noticed Sakura was still quiet and regarded her silently. She was uncomfortable, fidgeting with the ends of her red over-shirt. He sighed and went to pat her head, one of the only gestures of affection he was able to show - at the moment.

"Sorry," he mumbled, patting her hair tersely. Sakura blushed and smiled.

"That's okay, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaimed, her cheerful old self again. She leapt up and latched herself onto Sasuke, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his chest, as he was a head taller than her now.

"Get off, woman," Sasuke said heatedly. "You're annoying me. _Get off._"

He couldn't say, though, that he didn't enjoy the contact… 

At that thought, Sasuke's resolve to get her off hardened. "Get off me, Sakura!" To himself, he cursed the hormones, which was to him the only explanation why he was standing there not trying to pry her of him, only verbally pushing her away.

"Sorry!" Sakura said, backing quickly as though she had scalded herself. Sasuke was half-relieved and half-frustrated when Sakura let go, though he didn't know where the frustration came from. All he knew was that he craved her contact to his body. Of course, Sasuke being Sasuke, he didn't _want_ the craving.

Sakura had turned to Naruto, forgetting the earlier conflict. "So, Naruto, are you taking anyone to the carnival tonight?" Naruto grinned cheekily.

"I asked Hinata-chan, and she said yes," Naruto said happily. "How about you, Sakura-chan? Are you going with anyone?"

Sakura cast a small glance at Sasuke, who was determinedly staring at a spot above her ear. "I don't think so. I might have asked Ino-chan, but I have a feeling she's going to be dragging Shikamaru." She gave him a cheerful smile that didn't match her demeanor. "I think I'll go alone."

"You can tag along with me and Hinata-chan," Naruto offered, pity in his sapphire orbs. Sakura shook her head.

"Nah, I don't wanna ruin it for you," Sakura replied. "I'm sure you and Hinata-chan would want some time alone."

"Are you sure?" Naruto pressed.

"Positive," Sakura said, nodding. "I might ask Lee-san to accompany me, though," she added as an afterthought.

Sasuke muttered something directed to Sakura under his breath, his eyes twitching in apparent irritation. "Were you saying something to me, Sasuke-kun?" she asked, cocking her head to the side like a curious bird.

Sasuke sighed, stuffed his fingers into Naruto's ears, and amid Naruto's indignant yells, said to Sakura, "_I'll_ take you to the carnival. Not Thick Brows." That said, he stepped backed and watched Sakura's reaction with some satisfaction.

Naruto was yelling in Sasuke's ears, "What was that all about, Sasuke-teme? It was about me, wasn't it? What bad things have you been telling Sakura-chan?" Sakura, however, didn't hear a word of Naruto's repeated rambling as she stared at Sasuke, opening and closing her mouth like a goldfish, stunned. He seemed to be waiting for a reaction.

"Well?" Sasuke prompted, the arrogant smirk still on his face.

Sakura took a deep breath, and stuffed her own fingers into Naruto's ears. In between Naruto's indignant yells of "Not you too, Sakura-chan?" she said quietly, a shy smile on her lips, "Meet me there at seven."

* * *

"That's a lot of prizes, Sakura-chan!" Ino said, pulling Shikamaru over to where Sakura and Sasuke were standing. Shika muttered under his breath about how troublesome women were. Ino was right, as Sakura had her hands full of plushies.

"Ah, well, I had a lot of fun playing in the arcade," Sakura said happily. Sasuke rolled his eyes impatiently as he chewed on his cotton candy. (It was a strange thing to him, not having eaten it in years. How could it be so fluffy, but melted just so in his mouth?) Ino look incredulously shocked.

"_You_ won yourself prizes?" she asked, looking from one shinobi to the other.

"Yes," Sakura said, looking puzzled at her ex-ex-best friend's reaction. "Is there something wrong?"

Ino rolled her eyes theatrically. "Oh, gods, Sakura-chan. You are so naïve sometimes!" Without ceremony she grabbed Sasuke away from her. "Wait here while I borrow Sasuke-kun for a while."

"But he's _my_ date!" Sakura protested. "And Shikamaru's yours!" 

"It won't take long!" Ino said, dragging Sasuke out of earshot. Shikamaru made an impatient noise.

"Troublesome woman."

"What do you want," Sasuke said coldly, more as a statement than a question. "If you're kidnapping me from Saku-"

Ino waved her hand up and down in a drying motion. "Oh, please, Sasuke-kun! What nonsense! You know how much I support the fact that Sakura may be the one to be the new matron of the Uchiha clan!"

"What are you _talking _about?" Sasuke sputtered, incredulous.

"Anyway, that's besides the point," Ino said, turning serious. "This is your first date with _anyone_, isn't it?" Sasuke only scowled. She smiled triumphantly. "I thought so. Well, I have one piece of advice: _Win her something._"

"What?" Sasuke asked blankly. He thought a bit vaguely if it was an unwritten rule for women to confuse men, because they always managed to confuse him, as Ino did now.

Ino looked as though she was restraining herself from rolling her eyes. "Win. Her. A. Prize. At. The. Arcade. It's only chivalry."

"If she's having fun, why should I stop her?" Sasuke asked in his cold way.

"Like I said, it's only chivalry. You're just being a sweet guy if you offer to win a prize for her. Trust me, she'll never forget it," Ino said, winking.

Sasuke found himself nodding against his will.

* * *

"What did Ino want?" Sakura asked, restraining herself from killing the nearest living thing to her, which happened to be Sasuke. She didn't like the way the blue-eyed girl dragged Sasuke away from her, and more so the fact that she had blown him a kiss before everyone parted ways.

Sensing this was not the time to cross the medic nin, Sasuke replied, "Nothing worth my notice." Sakura beamed.

Sasuke scanned the carnival for any stalls where he could win Sakura something. Despite what he had told Sakura, he _did_ take note of Ino's advice. He found it strange now that the blonde was trying to get them closer, since he vaguely remembered her being part of his despised fan club before.

"Sakura," Sasuke said, leading her by hand. Sakura blushed, feeling the warmth of his fingers.

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked, puzzled.

"I'm going to win you something," the Uchiha prodigy said without ceremony.

Typical Sasuke. He was so straightforward he was rude. At this, Sakura laughed. "Oh, thank you, Sasuke-kun!" she said happily. He only grunted in response.

They stopped in front of a ball throwing game. "Topple the bottles and win a prize!" the stall owner was saying. He managed to spot Sasuke. "How about you, yes, the young man in the dark blue get-up? Fancy winning something for your lady friend?"

"Hn." He put down money, enough for three tries. Sakura watched happily. It wasn't everyday someone like Sasuke offered to do something for anyone.

Sasuke picked up a ball, and threw it to the bottles. Sakura held her breath.

He missed point blank.

Sakura was confused. How could he miss point blank when he was great at throwing kunai at precise points? Were her eyes playing tricks on her?

Sasuke cursed to himself. How could he miss an easy hit? He couldn't have. Dismissing it as just an unlucky throw, he picked up another ball and threw it as hard as he could.

* * *

Sakura sighed impatiently. She couldn't wait any longer. Her arms were already aching from carrying all her prizes, and she decided to put them down for a while. Sasuke had been trying and missing for too long. It was now his thirteenth try and he hadn't managed to even touch a bottle.

A second later she felt a pang of guilt. He was trying so hard for her. She decided to put him out of his misery.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun, maybe we can try other stalls," she suggested in a false cheery voice.

"No, I can do this," Sasuke growled, gritting his teeth. He was now fully convinced that the whole set-up was rigged. It had to be. Otherwise, how could he, Uchiha Sasuke, one of the greatest nins of his age, keep missing a simple non-moving, non-lethal, _play_ target?

He hated this. He hated having his pride trampled. He hated the fact he was losing. He hated the odd pitying looks the stall owner was now sending him.

Most of all, he hated having to lose in front of Sakura.

Oh, how he wanted to be both curse-enhanced and in Sharingan mode at that moment.

He sighed, and tried to get his bearings, ignoring the cold sweat that drenched his nape. Was he nervous? He couldn't be nervous. It was only a game, not a life-threatening situation.

Unfortunately, it was a game that threatened the way he thought he would look in front of Sakura. He gulped and collected himself. He had to win something for Sakura. It was, as Ino said, only chivalry, and maybe something else besides. Concentrating his mind (and maybe even his chakra) on his hand, he calculated the speed and the direction of the ball. He raised his hand back, and catapulted the ball with a great force.

_Well, thirteenth time's the charm._

He managed to topple the stack.

"Yesss!" Sakura cried happily, pumping her fist in the air, more for Sasuke than for herself, forgetting for a second he was winning for _her_.

The stall owner sighed in relief before announcing, "We have a winner!" (He had been getting terribly bad vibes from the temper-filled young man. Perhaps he thought the whole set-up was rigged?) "And our eager young man gets… a cute little elf doll!"

Before Sasuke knew anything, he was being handed a small doll with long pointed ears dressed in a blue archer's costume, with a one-feathered cap on its pigtailed hair. It's shining brown plastic eyes looked up at him innocently. He squirmed, like a new father unsure of how to hold a baby. He never had to hold a doll before, and he hadn't planned to.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun! Kawaii!" Sakura squealed, her eyes shining like that of the doll's.

"Here," he said curtly, dumping it into the pile of dolls she now took up again in her arms. "For you." She brightened right away, not needing to delve into the deeper meaning of his short statement.

"I think…" Sakura murmured, more to the doll than anything else, "I think I'll name you… Jappi-chan."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow and snorted. "You _name _your dolls? And what kind of name is_ that_?"

Sakura grinned. "That was the first name that popped into my head. Kind of cute, don't you think?"

"It's… weird."

They walked away from the stall, the two of them visibly happier, thinking that the last of their problems was done.

Unfortunately for them, the troubles had only begun.

The innocent looking elf-doll held a mischievous aura around itself, too small to be noticed, yet naughty all the same.

* * *

Sakura and Sasuke took a break from their wandering around the carnival. They sat at a nearby bench, taking in all the sights of the carnival.

Sakura was contemplating on her dolls. As much as she loved them all, she knew she couldn't keep them. They were too much to carry around. Besides, she couldn't get to ride on the rides if she carried them around. She knew she had to get rid of them, somehow.

Her eyes caught the elf doll, Jappi-chan, the smallest of her collection of dolls. She knew right then that the doll was beginning to have a hold on her heart. This was one doll she couldn't get rid of.

Suddenly, Sasuke and Sakura's sharpened nin senses picked up sounds of distant sniffles. They looked at each other, and Sakura prompted Sasuke to investigate with her. They walked on, the pile of dolls in tow, when they found two children, one a small boy, the other a smaller girl, who was heartily sniffing.

"Sorry I didn't win you anything, Kaname-chan," the little boy said apologetically. "I kinda ran out of money… I'm not really good at these games."

The little girl gave him a watery smile. "It's all right, nii-chan," she said, drying her tears with the back of her hand. "I understand. It's just that I don't have many dolls…"

Sakura's heart broke a little for the two children. She loved kids; and she understood how the little girl felt, having only a few dolls herself during childhood. But she thought the girl called Kaname was luckier; she had an older brother, while Sakura was an only child. She had found a solution to her current problem. "Hi!" she called, startling the two children.

"Hai, oneechan?" the older of the two asked.

"Would you like to have a doll?"

The two children looked at each other, bewildered. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Uhm… yes, please, oneechan," Kaname replied shyly, eyeing the pile of dolls in Sakura's arms.

Sakura grinned. "Then please have these," she said, plucking Jappi-chan out of the doll pile and handing the rest to the two children. "I hope you have somewhere to keep these."

The little boy blinked up at Sakura. "Why are you giving this all to us, oneechan?"

The pink-haired kunoichi looked at the boy for a moment. Finally, she decided to answer truthfully, "Because I'm having a hard time carrying all these. But I don't really need all these dolls." She grinned. "Besides, I think you're good kids. I think you might deserve these."

* * *

_Well, this certainly is an odd turn of events,_ Sasuke thought as he eyed the girl he currently with, who was clutching a certain elf doll close to her chest. She looked happy and relieved, possibly because of her good deed. But he didn't know why she kept the most worthless looking doll of all: the elf doll.

He didn't get to ask, as she was suddenly clutching his arm excitedly, exclaiming, "Oh, look, Sasuke-kun! The Ferris Wheel! It looks so tall from down here!" She looked at him out of the corner of her eye. "Ne, can we ride?"

"Hn."

Moments later, Sakura and Sasuke were buckled up into a Ferris Wheel carriage as it carried them higher and higher up into the air. Sakura felt amazed as she looked down at the bright lights of the carnival, and up the bright stars overhead. Her stomach lurched; her natural fear of heights was getting to her. Instead, she let the cool breeze stroke her bare arms, and she shivered.

"Are you all right?" Sasuke asked, almost indifferent, but completely concerned.

"Just cold," Sakura said, grinning despite the discomfort. A sudden explosion made her jump, swaying their still carriage back and forth. She panicked and grabbed hold of Sasuke. "Oh, Kami, I don't like this…"

"You might like that," Sasuke said, indicating where the explosion had come from. Sakura directed her attention to where he was pointing.

Fireworks colored the sky, exploding into red, blue, green, and yellow. They made zinging sounds, erupting into flower-like shapes and scattering the glitters into the Konoha sky. Sakura forgot her surroundings as she watched the magnificent display of bursting artistry.

Finally, the fireworks ended, and Sakura noticed she was still grinning. "That was beautiful," she said fervently, turning to Sasuke.

"Aa." Sasuke looked amazed himself. To their surprise, the Ferris Wheel started moving again, making Sakura's stomach form loop-the-loops inside herself. She grasped her stomach to keep the butterflies away, when she realized her lap was empty.

Her doll was gone.

"Sasuke-kun, where's Jappi-chan?" she asked.

"Not with me," Sasuke replied, looking at her quizzically. Sakura felt a rising panic. Where was it? Sasuke searched the small space of their carriage. The doll was nowhere to be found.

Unless that blue spec at one of the bars holding up the Ferris Wheel that caught his eye was an elf doll.

"Uh-oh." Sasuke pointed to it. Sakura gasped. It was, unmistakably, Sakura's precious Jappi-chan.

"How are we going to get it?" Sakura asked. Sasuke sighed.

"I have to jump off, I guess," he said calmly. Sakura paled.

"But what if you fall?" she asked worriedly.

"Trust me, I won't," he said impatiently. Without further ado, he jumped off the carriage, much to the surprise of all those who watched the Ferris Wheel turn. Sakura covered her mouth to keep from screaming. She really didn't like heights. Waves of panic prickled at her skin as the carriage swayed.

"Look!" someone from down below yelled. Sakura could see them pointing through her hands, now half-covering her eyes.

The crowd gasped like a single multi-headed entity as Sasuke climbed, acrobat-like, to retrieve the doll. When he faltered as he reached for the doll, some girls shrieked. Surely, but still with hesitance, he grabbed at the doll, but the Ferris Wheel, still turning, swayed it out of his reach.

"Stop the Ferris Wheel! Stop it!" Sakura cried, shouting as loud as she could at the guy at the controls, daring as much as she could to look over at the carriage's edge. The controller gave her a nervous thumbs-up and stopped the Ferris Wheel's movement. The inertia of the wheel caused the carriages (and Sasuke, for that matter) to sway, and everyone gasped sharply in panic. Sasuke snarled in impatience, and with one quick move, he grabbed the doll from the place where it was stuck.

"I'll bring the Wheel 'round!" the controller yelled to Sasuke. He nodded curtly and held on tight, the doll stuck in between his upper and lower left arm. When he was near enough ground, he jumped off and landed a bit shakily on steady ground. The crowd that had formed gave a collective sigh of relief.

Sakura got out of her carriage quickly as soon as it reached the boarding platform. Without warning, she threw herself at Sasuke, hugging him around the neck. "Sasuke-kun! You're safe!"

"Sakura, it was only about this stupid Jappi-chan of yours," Sasuke said irritably.

"That's just the thing!" Sakura cried. "It's only a doll! But you still rescued it! You risked your life just to get at a _stupid doll_!" There were tears in her eyes, and Sasuke couldn't bring himself to retort.

_Useless piece of shit, _he thought angrily, and he didn't mean the doll. _Powerless at a girl's stupid tears.

* * *

_

"Ne, ne, Sasuke-kun! Let's ride there!" Sakura said, the bounce back in her steps once more. It was as though the earlier issue was forgotten.

_Amazing how girls manage to get over tears so easily, _Sasuke thought, rolling his eyes. "Fine, Sakura. What's the ride?" he asked, craning his neck to the direction Sakura was pointing at. Once he found out, he gave a horrid grimace.

"Surely not," he snorted, coloring in embarrassment.

"Why, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura inquired, looking prettily innocent, her green eyes wide. Sasuke cringed; his stomach was doing flip-flops once more. "What's wrong with the Tunnel of Love? I've never been on one… What's it like? Is there anything wrong with it?"

_A whole hell of a lot! _was what he wanted to say, but unfortunately for him his voice chose a very inconvenient time to get stuck in his throat.

"Well," Sakura said cheerfully, "if there's nothing wrong with it, then come on!" She gently gave his arm a little tug, and they were off.

When Sasuke and Sakura found the docking point, both almost gagged at the sight of the swans. "So _this_ is the Tunnel of Love. And to think…"

_And to think…__ I dreamed of coming here with Sasuke-kun!_

_Even if…_(Here she blushed embarrassedly) _…I had no idea what it was!_

"Cheesy," Sasuke muttered.

Suddenly, they were being jostled by the crowd. "Don't stand in the way, buddy! People are passing, y'know!" They had been standing on their position for too long, and Sakura got pushed a bit too hard, causing her to trip. Sasuke caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Maa, I'm still too clumsy," she murmured to herself.

"I thought you were a chuunin," Sasuke said, smirking. "You should be able to handle crowds no problem." The red-clad shinobi stuck out her tongue.

Sakura let go of Sasuke, brushing herself off. Then she held out her hand. "Well, give me Japii-chan."

"It's not with me."

They both looked at each other, not minding the people bumping into them and getting into boats. Sakura realized their mistake, and slapped her hand into her large forehead. "Oh, not again…"

Sasuke shook his head. "Maybe we should abandon it."

"Are you nuts! You risked your life to get back the doll… and you're just going to throw that effort away?" She threw her hands in the air in sheer exasperation.

"Sakura, it's just a doll!" Sasuke said, his temper getting the better of him. "It's not a matter of life and death!"

"Well, I've grown attached to it, so there!" Sakura exclaimed, and without another word, she jumped onto an empty swan. Sasuke groaned and asked the high heavens why he had the insanity to ask her out in the first place. Then, he followed.

Sakura searched boat she got onto. No luck. She tried the sides of the boat, as it had some kind of cable attached, but nothing turned up either. They now entered the tunnel, both trying to concentrate on their mission, ignoring the cheap neon signs and glow in the dark stickers that screamed sappy love and the couples who seemed to be pointing to them.

"Look, Sasuke-kun, over there!" Sakura cried, pointing. Snagged at the side of swan boat next to them was the jinxed doll.

"Well, that was an easy find," Sasuke said.

"It'll be even harder to retrieve it," Sakura said, grimacing as she spotted the couple on the boat making out. "I'll try." She crouched and jumped from the swan boat, and it rocked, almost throwing Sasuke off the boat. She landed almost effortlessly on the boat, and the couple on it screamed in surprise.

"Hey, don't you respect people's privacy?" the girl of the couple yelled at her.

Sakura had the best chakra control in Fire Country, but she had a bit of difficulty controlling the urge to lash out on the girl. Instead, in her calmest voice, she said, "Sorry to intrude, but I just have to reach something." The couple watched in interest as she reached over to the side of the boat. Sasuke viewed them in growing irritation as the man of the couple kept his gaze on Sakura's behind. He resisted the urge to throw his shoe, along with a few kunai into the guy's head.

"Gotcha!" Sakura cried triumphantly as she grabbed the doll from where its clothes had caught onto the splinters of the boat. The girl glared at her, while the guy could do nothing but stare a little more.

And Sasuke? He was merely glad to end the ride as the boats came to a stop at the docking points.

* * *

"It stinks," Sakura said, crinkling her nose and holding Jappi-chan at arm's length. "Who knew the tunnel's water would smell like this?" Sasuke purposefully ignored her.

"Sakura," he said instead, "let's choose a ride that's not, in any way, hazardous to your doll." He pursed his lips and glared at the doll, as though daring it to glare back. It had given him too much trouble for one night.

But why did he have the distinct feeling it had smirked at him?

"I can't think of anything," Sakura said, sighing. "I wanted to get on the Octopus Ride, though, but it will probably fly out."

Now Sasuke found himself at another loss. He couldn't stand chasing after the doll, but he couldn't stand seeing Sakura disappointed either. (Which was odd, since disappointing Sakura was one thing he was good at.) Compromising, he said, "Let's ride, but let _me_ hold it."

She brightened up. "That's great, Sasuke-kun! You're such a _doll_!"

He scowled. "I don't want to hear that word if anyone can help it." Sakura giggled.

They hurried and bought their tickets to the ride. When they were all safely strapped in, the tentacles of the octopus began to revolve. Sasuke felt like a stupid little girl, clutching the doll with one hand and the safety bar with the other. Sakura was having the time of her life as the ride began to spin faster.

After a few minutes, Sasuke, however, started feeling green around the gills. He closed his eyes to take out the nausea, and cursed himself for having agreed to this. Why did he have to like Sakura this much?

After blinking for a few moments, he realized what he had just thought. _Liked? Who said anything about _liking _Sakura?_

At his lapse of concentration, however, the jinx began again as Jappi-chan flew out of his grasp. In almost slow motion, he watched, chagrined, as the doll flew out of sight. He felt a horrible sinking feeling in his stomach that had nothing to do with the ride.

As the Octopus pulled to a stop, Sasuke decided he hated the carnival, and there was no way he was coming to one after this.

_Damn dobe, damn Ino, damn Thick Brows, damn carnival, damn Sakura, damn everything._

Why did Sakura always manage to wrack his conscience?

"It's gone again, isn't it?" Sakura asked from behind him. She looked close to tears now.

"How'd you guess?"

"Well, Jappi-chan's not with you anymore," Sakura said, her voice breaking. "Obviously."

"It flew in that direction," Sasuke pointed. "Do you want to go look for it?" Sakura nodded, jumping into the trees.

Sakura was getting worried; that doll held a lot of sentimental value to her. She felt like such a baby, crying over a doll, but somehow, she knew she couldn't lose it. Sasuke was thinking almost along the same lines, except he didn't want it lost because it took too much effort to win it, not to mention rescuing it from the Ferris Wheel. But both shinobi they were becoming worked up with nothing.

They scoured the tree line of the market, and even some telephone poles. They didn't find the poor doll. Sakura was beginning to give up. "Maybe we should stop, Sasuke-kun," she called, having circled the tree line a third time. To her immense surprise Sasuke shook his head.

"We're going to find that useless piece of rags," he said through gritted teeth. "I spent too much trouble rescuing it awhile ago." A tiny blue spec caught his eye just then. He turned, his dark eyes narrowing in scrutiny. "There!"

For on top of one of the stalls sat a familiar little elf doll, sitting innocently as though nothing had happened. Immediately, Sakura jumped atop the roof lightly, grabbed the doll, and went back to Sasuke.

"Oh Jappi-chan!" she cried happily. Sasuke now rolled his eyes. It was as though a mother had just found her lost child. Turning serious, Sakura said to theonyx-eyed boy, "Maybe… we've had too much action today. Should we call it a day?"

Sasuke couldn't have been more glad to agree.

* * *

Sasuke walked Sakura home, both not minding the silence. It was actually comfortable as Sakura wrapped her arm around Sasuke's, breathing in deeply his distinct cinnamon scent. He smelled good, too good for someone who had been sweating heavily after chasing a certain elf doll.

Sasuke found himself not minding Sakura's close proximity. He could feel her silken locks brush against his bare shoulder, and he didn't pull his arm away. She was warm, and she smelled intoxicating, a mixture of cherry blossoms and some other flower he couldn't name.

Finally, they arrived at the stoop of Sakura's home. "Well," Sakura said, feeling awkward now that she had broken the silence, "thanks, Sasuke-kun, for tonight."

"Hn."

Sakura bit her lip. "I'm sure you think that it was such a fiasco… I think I may have acted a bit of a baby tonight… You know, because of this doll…" She bowed her head, expecting to hear an insult from Sasuke, or at least a comment on how horrible their date was.

She snapped her head back up when he muttered, "It was okay." She raised her eyebrows, feeling a mixture of surprise and relief, not to mention happiness. He gave her a small boyish grin, which meant a lot in anybody's language. "I had fun… however unorthodox the fun was. Not bad… for a first date." She blushed. It was one thing to get the Uchiha to talk, and an entirely different thing to make him smile. He gave her a thoughtful frown. "But I don't understand. How could a stupid doll mean so much to you?"

Sakura put a finger on her chin as she contemplated. "Anou… A lot of reasons, I guess."

"One is that it's terribly cute," she said, counting it off on her hand. She raised another finger. "Another thing is that I rescued it once, right? I humiliated myself just to get my hands on it." She gave him a soft smile, and Sasuke's stomach did another series of back flips. "And the third reason is… you gave it to me. And you rescued it for me. That's enough of a reason to keep it close to my heart."

Sasuke understood, even if Sakura's logic was twisted, in his language. He could never understand these sentimentalities. He shook his head amusedly, and Sakura grinned.

"Well," Sasuke said, turning, "I'd better go."

"Wait!" Sakura said, clutching his shirt. He turned to look at her, her face glowing in the dark, the street lights and the moon light playing shadows on her face. Her green eyes seemed to glimmer more. "I…" She blushed again. "Good night." She stood on tiptoe, closed her eyes, and planted a soft kiss on Sasuke's cheek, which made the prodigy raise his eyebrows so high it disappeared into his hairline.

It didn't last long, but both shinobi had already turned ten different shades of red. Sakura withdrew, and opened her eyes to look at Sasuke's expression, which was a mixture of shock, embarrassment, satisfaction, and whole lot more.

"Uh… good night, Sakura," Sasuke said, his voice sounding strangled. Sakura grinned sheepishly. He turned to walk away, hands in his pockets.

At his retreating back, Sakura called, "Maybe next time we'll have a little less trouble!"

He turned in surprise, but Sakura had already shut the door. He smirked.

Maybe next time, he'd outdo her on-the-cheek kiss and convert it to something more.

A certain elf doll's eyes glittered mischievously in the night.

* * *

Sometimes, a little trouble can go a long way.

* * *

**AN: **Quite long, huh? But that's because of the omake.

Anyway, to reply to people…

* * *

**sweetmaiden** – Thanks for reading this chapter too! Wow, it does? Well, prepare for another chapter of birthday sweetness, since Sasuke's birthday is next! (I'm posting a story about his birthday in honor of his birthday, July 23, this Saturday.)

**babykitty2270** – Great!

**psychedelic**** aya** – Tenkyu! Ganun ba talaga ka ganda? Anyway, yeah, siya ang nag-butcher sa Sound. Thanks for reading again!

**ayasi** – Yup, corny is the perfect word. See you next time!

**Kawaii**** Koneko92 **– I got the idea from my friend's charm bracelet. Thanks!

**Little Minamino** – You flatter me too much…

**December Jewel** – I know, right? Hope this is as good!

**Oukaru**** Hanako** – Hey Hanako-chan! Thanks for reading this chapter! Eh? ME, your favorite author? –blushes- Oh, please, that's too much! But thanks, really!

**animeEvivvErz**** – **Ya think? Yeah, I guess I wanted to make him sound rather cool… That's just like him, though… Thanks!

**ligice76** – Thanks! Sasuke and Sakura rock! Was it really that good? Yup, it was Sasuke who killed Sound. Happy happy days… - laughs evilly –

**Missxrae** – Kyaa! That. Is. Too. Much! Me, the best? –reddens- But my fics can't be the best… Thanks for thinking so anyway! That was too flattering!

**ellamoony**– Synonym much? Thanks a lot! Luv ya!

**ahnigurL** – Thanks for the 'nice' compliment! Heehee!

**PrincessChii** – Ooh! I should stop giving you guys too much sugar… You might get diabetes! Cute is the right word… Corny is another… Thanks for reading!

**AiTenshiCosmos** - -waves hand around- Thank you, thank you, thank you very much. Oh please, not at all. (Sorry, getting an "I'm so famous" kick. ) Anyway, I'm glad you reviewed this chapter! Bye bye!

**Chibi**** Kitty Sorceress **– I'm glad you love it! I hope this is as good!

**Krissel**** Himura** – Drafting? I hate drafting, bagsak ako nun ng first year highschool. Pfft. Really? How's it different from other people? Yah, alam ko, birthday ni Sasuke ngayong Saturday, July 23! Yay! Kaya abangan mo lang ditto, kasi may ginagawa akong birthday fic… Sasusaku pa rin, of course. Next time ulit!

**kurama-kawai** – Yeah, I love them too much! I'll keep writing… It's my reviewers that keep my intense love for SasuSaku alive! They're the best for each other, so yeah, canon it is! Thanks for always reading!

**Ayane**** Selznick** – Yup, possessive Sasuke is the best kind of Sasuke there is! –drool- anyway, yup, I'll read your fic until the very end! Thanks for reading my fic!

**Kyle Lightwind** – The first one and the last one… I better take note of that… Thanks for reading!

**hinaru90** – Wow, you really think so…? Yeah, it WAS rather sweet, wasn't it? Well, I hope you read this one too! Bye bye!

**Presea**** Combatir **– It's your favorite, now is it? That's good then… But you know, I never thought that angst and fluff could go so well together… Till next time!

**Nadyell** – I tried posting it, but LiveJournal says it's too long. Maybe I should just post a link… Thanks for reading!

**Momiro-chan** – Aww, don't cry… I'm a hopeless romantic too! Anyway, thanks for reading and adding me to your favorites! Luv ya!

**bittersweetdreams** – That was one of my better ideas… Yeah, you're right, it COULD happen… But they ARE sort of a couple in the manga… but that's just me being stubborn. You know, I just read the SasuSaku parts of the manga a couple of days ago, and there were a lot, believe me… I REALLY think they're canon, or I just want to believe so… Thanks for reviewing!

**lol** – Thanks! Here's the update!

**chelle** – Oi, Pinay ako! -sings Bamboo-like- Ang rami talagang Pinay sa Naruto fandom… From the way you speak, feeling ko na taga-Davao ka or somethin', kasi feeling ko na mga taga-Davao lang ang may mixture ng Bisaya at Tagalog habang nagsasalita… Nakuha ko lang sa sabi mo na 'parehas'. Ah, well, taga-Davao din ako eh… Thanks a lot!

Hey hey! For all those you reviewed, you get a Orochimaru punching bag! (Evil not included.)

* * *

Wow, you guys flatter me too much! 27 reviews! – bounces of walls in excitement -

To tell you the truth, guys, I think this is one of the worst I've ever written, but thanks for reading anyway! Questions, comments, just give 'em to me in a review! Ja!

Oh, yeah, before I forget, Sasuke-kun's birthday is this Saturday, July 23. I'm going to post a SasuSaku fic about it this Saturday, still here on the Marshmallow Collection. Start jumping in excitement!We're gonna par-tey! NYAO!


	6. Dreamcatcher: Sasuke's Present

**AN: **Hey guys! Here's what two of you asked: The sequel to Lunch! (See Third Chapter)

Just an omake, guys, the real story's coming up next. Enjoy!

**Warning: **I've already said before, NejiTen, NaruHina, and ShikaIno are my secondary favorite Naruto pairings. Don't like don't read.

* * *

**Omake****: Answering Machine

* * *

**

**Disclaimer (goes for omake and main): **I started out drawing with pencils on paper, not poop on walls, like Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

**Sakura's Answering Machine:**

**Sakura: **Hi! This is Haruno Sakura! I'm out of the house… hiding out at Sasuke-kun's house to avoid awkward questions about our recent… uh… behaviors. Yes. Ahrrmm. Right. Please leave a message after the beep. Thanks!

-BEEP-

**1st Message**: It's Ino! Waah! Sa-KU-_RA_! How could you, you big foreheaded girl! You – you – how could you! Why did you steal Sasuke-kun away from meeeee? **_interference_****_ noise_** No, Shika! I'm not done with the phone! **_more_****_ noises_** Hey, that's mine, Shika! Shika-MA-_RUUUUU_! **_squeals_****_ and more noises_** Troublesome woman. Go find your own phone. **_random_****_ numbers pressed_** Hey! Gimme! I'm not done-

**2nd Message**: Saaakuuuraaa-chaaaan! It's Naruto! Wow! Was it really you and Sasuke-teme _KISSING _at the Ichiraku yesterday and not your clones? Aw, does that mean I'm out of the running? Nishishishishi…. JUST KIDDING! You know who I like… Ano sa, ano sa, you wanna go to the Ichiraku and talk this over? I'm one of your best friends, right? I'll kiss you if you want. Okay, I'm joking again! But are you really hooked up with Sasuke-teme? **_whisper_****_ sounds _**Whaat? Are you sure, Kakashi-sensei? **_far_****_ away voice_**

Aw, okay, in that case… Bye bye, Sakura-chan! Time to got to Hinata-chan's! Think about the ramen thing! It's my treat!

**3rd Message**: Good morning Sakura, it's the Godaime. Congratulations on finally getting your guy, though how you did, I have no idea. Which reminds me, Shizune's asking for tips on how to snag a – mmmmph! **_struggling_****_ noises _**Shizune, learn to respect your superior and don't clamp my mouth when I'm talking! **_faraway_****_ voice _**Gomen ne, Tsunade-sama! **_back_****_ to Tsunade _**Like I said, congratulations. By the way, I have a medical jutsu to hide that GIANT hickey of yours. Come on over to the Hokage Tower sometime. Ja.

**4th Message**: Yo, Sakura, it's your handsome teacher. Congratulations, you don't have to chase you Sasuke-kun anymore. Anyway, can you cook some breaded shrimp and send it over? I saw you and Sasuke – oops, I wasn't supposed to say that. Anyway, have you seen my Icha Icha Paradise? I can't find my Volume 10. If you see it, read it and give it back, you might find something useful to use on Sasuke. **_giggle_**Thanks!

**5th Message**: Hello, Sakura, it's Jiraiya! I need some inspiration for my next volume, maybe you and Sasuke could share some of your bedroom secre- **_agitated scream _**Tsu-Tsunade! Y-You're back so s-soon! **_a_****_ snarl and a high pitched scream _**JiraiYAAA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY OFFICE? **_banging_****_ and shouting _**I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID YOU PERVERTED DIRTBAG! DON'T PRY INTO MY STUDENT'S SEX LIFE! OUT, _OUT_!

**6th Message**: Dearest Sakura! It's the Green Beast of Konoha, Rock LEE! My feels crushed as I heard news of you, dearest cherry blossom, and the heir of the Uchihas… shall I say… abandoning your modesties in public? _KISSING_? Oh, beautiful pink beauty, must I, the Great Green Beast of Konoha, bid farewell to any hope of capturing your heart? Tell me all that I hear is hearsay! Sakura-san, I implore you! I- **_grabbing noises_** Lee! Would you get off my phone? I need to tell Sakura-chan something. Ne Sakura-chan, it's me, Tenten! Sorry about Lee… anyway, if you can give me some tips on getting cold guys, I'd really appreciate it! Kyaa, I've known Neji for years and I _still_ haven't snagged him… Well, call me if you can, okay? Ja ne!

**7th Message**: Hey, Sakura, it's Shino. I just wanted to tell you my bugs picked up news that Sasuke's Fan Club is out looking for your blood. Just wanted to tell you in case you wanted to know. Bye.

**Sasuke's**** Answering Machine:**

**Sasuke**This is Uchiha Sasuke. Unless you're Sakura or the dobe, or someone equally important, don't bother leaving a message because I'll hunt you down if you do. I'm hiding out at Sakura's right now, so don't ask if I'm here. That's all.

-BEEP-

**1st Message**: WAAAAAH! SASUKE-KUUN! Why did you leave meee? Why why why?

**2nd Message**: Sasuke-kun! Dump the forehead girl and go out with me!

**3rd Message**: Sasuke-kun! It's your darling Ino! Please tell me you didn't exchange your lovely, sexy, smart girlfriend for that big foreheaded girl! **_interference_**Kyaa! Shikamaru! That's mine! Shika! Give it back! Hey-

**4th Message**: Yo, Sasuke. Just called Sakura's. If you're not home and you're at Sakura's, and if Sakura's not home and at your place, how come no one's picking up? Where are you guys? Everyone has a million questions to ask you. Anyway, have you seen my Icha Icha Paradise? I think I left it at the forest a couple days ago. Maybe you read it and got a little skill and tried it out on Sakura? Oops, I forgot, you guys are only 19, right? Anyway, if you see it, give it to me, okay? Ja na.

**5th Message**: Sasuke-kuun! I love you! Marry me!

**6th Message**: Uchiha! I, the Green Beast of Konoha, challenge you to a duel for the beautiful Sakura's hand! You may have won this time, but I assure you Sakura-san will be mine once I show you the power of my taijutsu! You shall burn in my youthful fire and be consumed by the greatness of the Gree- **_grabbing noise_** Hey, Neji, I'm not done yet! **_other_****_ voice _**I didn't allow you to use my phone. Oi, Uchiha, it's Neji. Briefing at the Hokage Tower later, don't be late, and maybe you can tell us all how the hell you managed to tell Haruno that you have feelings after all. Ja.

**7th Message**: Hey, Sasuke-kun, what color underwear are you wearing?

**8th Message**: Oi! Sasuke-teme! I hooked up with Hinata-chan! Now we're even! Nishishishishi… **_in the background_** Na-Naruto-kun! Y-you don't ha-have to y-yell it! Na-Naruto-k-kun! **_Naruto's_****_ voice _**Anyway! I'm going to beat you 'coz I'll marry Hinata-chan before you can even _ask _Sakura-chan to marry you! And I probably love Hinata-chan more than you love Sakura-chan, so there! Ha! Beat that!

**Somewhere else…**

"Hey, Sasuke-kun, you think someone left a message at our answering machines?"

"I highly doubt it. Our friends are too sensible."

"That's true…"

The young couple looked at each other and snorted derisively.

"_Not._"

* * *

**AN: **How'd you like it? A couple of people asked for it, so here it is! 

And just as I promised, a SasuSaku tribute to Uchiha Sasuke's birthday! Enjoy everyone!

**Warning: **Another odd mixture of fluff and angst. I seem to have a knack for this.

* * *

**Marshmallow 6: **

**Dreamcatcher****: Sasuke's Birthday Present****

* * *

**

Blood.

It was all Sasuke could see, smell, hear and taste and feel. It was everywhere; corpses bathed in it, walls tainted with it, and its stench filled the whole place. He wished he could run, but his legs were held in place. His eyes, no matter where they roamed, only found more red and white fans soaked in blood.

His heart pounded wildly, and sweat was on his brow. He was weak, powerless, and unable to do anything. He watched in great fear as a familiar figure cut down person after person. Forcing himself to move, he went nearer, wanting to know who this man was.

His feet hit something. He looked down slowly and stared in shock and horror, a horrible realization creeping into his system.

Near his feet were bloody corpses of familiar faces: A blond boy stabbed in the head with a kunai, a silver haired head unattached to its body, among many others.

He couldn't bear to see it, so he lifted his head and saw a shock of pink hair standing protectively in front of him. He wanted to call out her name, but his voice stopped at his throat.

"No…" she was pleading. "Please… please don't…"

But whoever was in front of her, her pleads fell on deaf ears. He wanted to warn her, to jump in and save her as always, but he could only watch as whoever was in front oh her stabbed her in the heart. He wanted to scream in despair. Even _she_ was gone.

"Damn you!" he screamed, getting his voice back. He was shaking in anger, and all he wanted to do was tear her killer limb from limb. The killer then met his eyes.

Red blood eyes of the Sharingan, coal black, and a trademark smirk.

He was looking at himself.

"NOOOOOOOO!"

Sasuke shot up out of bed, hyperventilating. He grabbed his kunai instinctively, still feeling as though his dream was real. It took him a few more moments to realize it was only a nightmare. He dropped his kunai and clutched his head, resting it on his knees.

_Just a dream… just a horrible dream…_

He couldn't help it if the dream felt quite real. He still couldn't believe it wasn't; the dream was too vivid, too _believable._ He let the back of his palm slide across his forehead. It was times like this when he felt vulnerable. He hated the feeling of being weak.

He leaned against the wall, determined not to go back to sleep, even though it was still dark. He knew if he did, his nightmares would continue.

The nightmares had always been there ever since he found his parents' corpses on that fateful day. The first few days after the massacre, he had woken up screaming, flailing, and crying, after which he would swear that he _would_ kill the one who caused these dreams to happen.

But even after fulfilling this goal, the nightmares didn't cease. In fact, they were steadily growing worse. He thought all the horrible feelings he experienced would go away after he killed Itachi, but he was dead wrong.

_She was right, _he thought bitterly, his raven hair falling into his eyes. _It wasn't going to make me happy. It only made me more miserable. _He punched the wall beside him angrily. _Dammit_

He looked at his pale hands, imagining them covered with blood. _Was it worth it? Was it worth being branded as a monster? Was it worth leaving Konoha, Team 7, and her?_

_Do I really deserve peace, even after being punished for being a missing nin?_

_Do I deserve to live on this day?_

_Do I deserve to be nineteen years old today?

* * *

_

Sakura hummed as she mixed the ingredients of moist chocolate cake in a bowl, a smile on her face. Today was her Sasuke-kun's birthday, and she was going to his house that afternoon. That alone made her as happy as could be.

"Hey, forehead girl, are you listening?"

Sakura adjusted the phone on her shoulder and ear. "Listening, Ino-pig…!"

"You're cheerful today," she observed. "What's up?"

"Sasuke-kun's birthday!"

"Ah," Ino said, a smile in her voice. "So, you're going to his house this afternoon and give him your famous ultra moist chocolate cake?"

Sakura giggled. "Of course. He and Naruto-kun love it."

Ino sighed. "And to think I wanted to go the bazaar with you this afternoon. I guess I'll have to ask Shika-kun instead. I wish it was my birthday, then you'd bake me that scrumptious cake of yours."

"You'll break your diet, Ino," Sakura said patiently.

"For one slice of your cake, I'd gladly break it!" Both girls laughed. When they quieted down, Ino went, "Hey, Sakura-chan."

"Yeah?"

"Haven't you given up on him yet?"

Sakura went quiet, stopping at mid-mix. Finally, she said, "I don't think I can."

"But why not?" Ino protested. "Sasuke-kun's nothing but a rock! He doesn't notice anyone! Besides, a lot of guys would kill to be your guy. You should choose one of them. Look at Lee-san! He really is devoted to you. Hurry, if you wait more, you''l become an old maid!"

Sakura gave a hollow laugh. "I'm only eighteen, I don't need to settle down yet. I'm not worried about running out of suitors, I have too many, personally speaking." She sighed. "You know how much I love Sasuke-kun."

Ino gave a worried sigh. "I know, Sakura-chan. The question is, does he feel the same way?" Sakura didn't answer. "Look," Ino amended, "go over there and wish him a happy birthday, ne? I just hope things work out for you guys. You're great with each other actually. And I don't think he'll refuse anything you say after tasting your cake." Sakura laughed, and resumed her baking. "Well, gotta go, my soap opera's coming. Ja ne!" Both girls hung up.

As the pink haired medic baked, she went lost in thought. _What if Ino was right? What if I'm waiting for nothing? What if… I wait until it's too late? _All the daisy sunshine drained out of her. _Maybe I should give up on him. He's… he;s never going to fall in love with me. It's too late._

_Hell no!_ Inner-Sakura raged. _We're young! We're eighteen! We can get any guy we want-_

_-except Sasuke-kun, _Sakura finished.

_But don't you see? You giving up on Sasuke-kun is unnatural, since you giving up on him is like… him giving up on being an avenger. And he never did. Neither should you._

_Hmm…__ There's logic in that._ She cast a glance at the wrapped package on the kitchen counter and smiled. _Well, he needs me right now, I guess it's better to go and make him happy rather than make myself miserable._

She shook her head, the smile not leaving her face. _Consequence of falling in love with an avenger, huh?

* * *

_

As Sasuke's home was in an altogether different district, the Uchiha part of town, Sakura had to walk a few miles before she could get to his house. As she walked confidently, a big box of cake and a smaller package in her arms, men, women, and children couldn't help but stop and stare. Sakura had a certain glow about her that most people knew was a bit more different from her usual glow. Her smile was more beautiful, her stride more confident, and her steps lighter. Who would have thought the shy Sakura of old would grow up into this confident woman?

The hot July day seemed to get cooler as Sakura passed by, Her fresh light blue sundress seemed to give off a little coolness, and she herself was relaxing to the eyes. Such a girl, of course, was not immune to gossip. It annoyed her to no end when people talked "behind her back". She felt they were so sure that she couldn't hear them, so dense to think that _she_ was dense. But she knew all that they said.

"Hey, it's the Haruno girl."

"I remember her, she used to be something like Yamanaka Ino's shadow."

"Did you hear about her and the Uchiha kid, the one who became a betraying bastard?"

"Yeah, even after all the stuff that had happened, she still fawns all over him, and he still rejects her. How sad."

"Aw, come on, guys, she's cute. And I heard she was trained by the Godaime herself."

"That still doesn't change the fact she associates with that traitor. What the hell does she see in him besides the looks?"

Sakura inhaled and exhaled deeply, trying to keep her cool. She didn't care what people said about her, but what made her see red was what they said about Sasuke. Against Inner-Sakura's view, she quickened her steps and marched right into the Uchiha district.

The Uchiha compound was a ghost town. As Sakura walked the empty streets, she could still see faint traces of dried blood on the walls of houses, and she could feel a distinct aura of death lingering. She could easily imagine this place teeming with people so that it could have been a town in itself.

_Itachi__ killed them all? But… they could have numbered to a hundred! Didn't he think about sparing anyone else besides Sasuke-kun?_

Sakura often wondered how Sasuke felt to have his clan massacred, just so she could help. She now had a better idea, although she really didn't know exactly how it felt. To have everyone you knew killed… she knew she couldn't take that pain. And Sasuke was only eight then. _It must have been very painful for him, and I can't even delve into it deeper. Oh Sasuke-kun…_

As she neared the main house, she felt that she had been a tad selfish when she was younger. Now that she thought about it, it had been selfish to stop him from leaving Konoha. She had said that she'd be lonely… but did she really think _he_ wasn't lonely at all?

But no argument was perfect either. She had told him that revenge wouldn't make anyone happy. Now that he had completed his revenge, was he truly happy? If he had agreed to stay with her, would he have been happy? Was she really selfish? What she did was for his own good, after all.

She shook her head; she was confusing herself. And after all, she had already arrived at her destination. She adjusted her packages in her arms and took a deep breath.

"Hello?" she called. No one answered, so she stepped into the gate and onto the threshold. "Hello?" she called again. Still no answer. She removed her sandals and stepped inside.

She was happy that she was one of Sasuke's best (and seemingly, only) friends. She was important enough to him to be allowed to step into his house, let alone celebrate anything with him.

Ever since he had come back, she and Naruto wouldn't let him out of his sight. But even when Team 7 was closer than ever, she felt alienated. Sasuke and Naruto were guys and rivals, and they could understand in ways Sakura never could. She and Naruto, on the other hand, treated each other as siblings, and she had a different kind of understanding with him.

Sakura, however, felt that her relationship with Sasuke was nothing more than having a common friend in Naruto, aside from being former teammates. They were _just friends._ But she had decided that even if they could be nothing more, she would continue caring for him and watching over him from afar. Who cared what Ino and the others said? As long as she hadn't fallen out of love for him, she wouldn't stop caring. As long as Sasuke needed love… she would provide that love.

As Sakura searched the house, which she now knew by heart, she wished Naruto could be with her. He, however, had gone on a mission on short notice, and they couldn't celebrate together. As she stepped on the polished floor, she could feel the silence echo around her, almost like no one was there.

Then, just as she was about to give up and go home, she heard low moans and sounds from the direction of Sasuke's room. Gasping, she made to turn to his room to see what was wrong.

What Sakura found there broke her heart twice over.

Sasuke was on the floor, on his knees and elbows, as though in great pain. His body shook in violent sobs, and his voice was ragged with sobs. Sakura's good feeling evaporated and pity and sadness replaced the gaiety in her green eyes. She felt like crying herself.

But she knew she had to be strong for him. This was one situation where she would play the stronger one. And just as he had protected her physically from enemies, she felt the duty to help in his emotional crisis. Slowly, she put down her packages and knelt down beside him, wrapping her milky white arms around his shoulders.

"Sshh…" she soothed. "It's all right, Sasuke-kun… whatever it is… just let it out… we'll fix it… whatever it is…" She gently rocked him back and forth, wrapping her arms tighter.

He buried his face in her chest. "Sa… Sakura…" he choked. "Do you – do you think that i-it's my fault… _they_ died…?"

Sakura cradled his head, stroking his sfot raven hair. "Ssh, ssh… It's not your fault… Never your fault… no…" She put her chin on his head, making him warmer, and her presence felt. She wanted him to know _she_ was there for him, even if she herself was nearly in tears.

He clutched at her arms. "D-do I deserve to live? Me… do I deserve to celebrate… my life?" The anguish overflowing from his voice made her want to cry out too. But she steadied herself.

"Yes… Yes… you deserve to live and be happy…" she mumbled in his ear, nuzzling his hair. "You've done so much good… so don't worry…"

"No… No… I don't," Sasuke said, his ragged, holding on tight to Sakura as though he would fall if he didn't. "I should've… died with them… I killed so much… I'm… I… I'm a monster…"

She squeezed, trying and failing to be stern. "No. You're Uchiha Sasuke, you aren't a monster. You… you deserve more than you think…"

"No… I should've died with them…"

"You're wrong…"

"I don't deserve this day…"

"You do…"

"I'm bloodstained… I wasn't strong enough to protect them… I killed him… I'm a monster…"

"No, Sasuke, _dammit_!" Sakura cried, instinctively hugging him closer, she herself finally bursting into tears. "You're _not_ a monster, it's _not _your fault, and it never is, never was, never will be! Understand?"

Sasuke's body went rigid against hers. "For the first time that day, he looked up into her anguished and angry green orbs, almost wonderingly. "Sakura… you…"

She gave him a watery smile. "Do you understand, Sasuke-kun?" she asked softly.

"Yes…"

Sakura smiled again and gathered him higher into her arms once more to rest her chin on his shoulder. His body went limp, and he closed her eyes.

She wanted him to know everything was going to be all right. She wanted him to know he was not anything to be hated.

She wanted him to know she was there for him.

* * *

_Soft… warm…_

Sasuke couldn't comprehend what exactly Sakura was doing to make her hug so comforting, but it made him drop his guard even more, and his mind was in a haze, making him feel a tad sleepy. He was so close to her now, and her warmth made him feel… cared for.

Within himself, the lonely cold he felt started thawing. Something was melting inside him, and it felt… warm and wonderful.

The way she was hugging him the way she smelled and felt, the way her heart beat a comforting rhythm against his ears… Something wasn't the same with the way, she felt to him, and whatever it was, he somehow knew it had been there all along, and it had been intensified just now. It had bewildered him to no end, as sometimes, it was painful, sometimes it was comforting, but he knew whatever it was, it mixed different sensations in his chest, feelings he had previously pushed away.

A warm feeling in his stomach swirled, making his heart flutter. What was this feeling? He couldn't really tell. It felt wonderful, but uncomfortable at the same time. He knew that it had been a hindrance before when he was still struggling to defeat Itachi, but now that he had no enemies to defeat, was it all right to let this feeling finally be felt?

Any why was it that only Sakura could induce this particular feeling?

Suddenly, a more important question popped up in his hazy mind. He pushed her away slightly to get a look at her tear-streaked face. "Sakura," he said quietly, "what are you doing all the way here?"

"Oh!" she exclaimed, as though remembering her purpose just them. She gave him a small smile. "I wanted to wish you a happy birthday, Sasuke-kun." She jerked her head towards the packages she had left by the door. His mouth actually curved up, surprising them both.

"It's moist cake, isn't it?" Sasuke asked, smiling slightly.

"Yeah!" Sakura said happily, as though no tears had been flowing down her cheeks previously. "I made enough for three, but since Naruto isn't here – did you know he's on an ANBU mission? – there's more than enough for the both of us." She tilted her head to the side. "Are you all right now, Sasuke-kun?" she asked tentatively, searching his eyes.

"Aa," Sasuke replied, nodding, rubbing the last remnants of tears from his eyes. "Let's eat your cake. It better be as good as always."

Sakura laughed. "You need the sugar rush?"

"Hn."

With that, he took her hand, picked up the package, and went to the kitchen.

* * *

"This is good," Sasuke commented as he spooned another piece of cake into his mouth. Sakura watched him interestedly. He raised an eyebrow. "What?" 

"I don't know," Sakura said, licking the icing off her spoon, not taking her eyes off Sasuke. "It's… oddly interesting to watch you eat… I mean, when we were genin, you wouldn't come a mile near anything I cooked."

"I wouldn't have let you come within a mile of a stove, either."

"Oh yes, that, too," Sakura giggled. Turning serious, she leaned forward towards him and asked hesitantly, "Sasuke-kun… about your… _outburst_ earlier…" She inclined her head and rested a hand on Sasuke's. He stiffened, but relaxed in a moment. "What triggered it? You can be honest with me. We're… we're friends, right?"

_Are friends all we'll ever be?_

"Aa. Friends."

_I don't want to be friends._

Sakura grinned. Sasuke gave her a half-smile.

_I want to be more than friends._

"So do you want to tell me?" Sakura pressed.

"It…" Sasuke began, as though it was an effort to speak. His mouth felt dry. "It was this dream… It started ever since I killed that man and its been going on and on, even now… everyone dies, and I find out it's me who killed you all." He couldn't even tell her she had tried to save him from himself, but failed.

"Let me help you," Sakura said bracingly, squeezing his hand.

_Will you let her help you?_

"Will you let me help you, Sasuke-kun?" she asked, trying to search the answers in his eyes.

_Will you let her save you from your own darkness?_

And then he understood his dream. He had pushed away everyone's efforts to help him, or rather, his dark side did, and he only stood helplessly. Sakura was the one who stood out longer than the rest. If his darkness overpowered her light… he would be a lost cause.

"Yes," he replied, putting his trust in Sakura. It was time he trusted someone to help him. She was a lot stronger than he in emotional matters. She beamed, and tears of joy leaked out of her eyes.

"Oh, Sasuke-kun…" Sakura sniffed, and wiped her tears away. "S-Sorry… I-I got something in my eye…" She steadied herself with one big breath. "Sasuke-kun," she now said, "How do you want me to help you? I want you to decide."

He stared at her, trying to delve into the deeper meaning of her words. How did he want her to help him?

"I want you to help me with my nightmares." He looked at her intensely, pleadingly. "Can you do that, Sakura?"

She looked surprised. "Sasuke-kun… I…" She grinned sheepishly. "I have one thing… The gift I gave to you…"

"This package?" Sasuke asked, holding the flat package. Sakura nodded. Tentatively, he ripped off the wrapping to reveal a circular ring, strings attached to it like a web, and filled with beads, and its tail was full of feathers. "What's this?"

"It's a dreamcatcher," Sakura said happily. "I made it myself. It's said that the dreamcatcher gathers dream, and sorts good ones from bad ones. You hang it above your head when you sleep. Do you like it?"

Sasuke chuckled, shaking his head. "It's strange, but still nice. Thank you, Sakura."

_This is exactly why you need her. Because she makes you live life._

Suddenly, lightning lit up the sky, and a few moments later a thunderous crash was heard, causing Sakura to yelp in surprise. Suddenly, rain poured down onto Konoha, falling down like cats and dogs. "A summer storm…" Sakura said. "Oh, no, how am I going to get home?"

"Stay here." Sasuke said, a little too quickly. As she blushed, he added, "I don't want you to get sick."

She smiled gratefully. "Thank you Sasuke-kun."

And so the storm raged outside, but two people were quite warm.

* * *

Sasuke sat in his room on to his new dreamcatcher, tracing the pattern of the web with his eyes. Sakura was cooking dinner; she had insisted that it was the least she could do for letting her stay in his house for the night. He had retired to his room to sort out all the confusion that his feelings were dealing in. 

_Fear._He feared what would happen to all the people who had a lot of importance to him. He was honestly scared to suck them into the black hole that was his darkness.

_Hate._ He was filled with so much hate before he killed Itachi. But now, he somehow understood that his hate had to drain out of him. His darkness had to be overthrown.

_Pain._All his life, he had experienced pain, not just physical wounds. It had pained him to be always in the shadow of his older brother. It was painful to have his whole clan annihilated. It pained him to have to isolate himself in his days as a rookie, even if he didn't want to admit it. Now that he thought about it, he was pained by the fact he had betrayed Konoha, and even as he killed Itachi. An unknown pain also plagued him, but this pain was both sweet and hurtful. The crowning glory of all these pains was that he had to be alone, even now. He needed to share his life and his little successes and big defeats.

_Happiness._How long had it been since he had last been truly happy? He had been happy when his parents were alive, happy when he had been with Team 7 and he had finally accepted his teammates. Happiness, strangely, had swirled in his stomach the night when he left Konoha, the night when Sakura had told him her true feelings. He had been happy when he had come back 2 years ago. And that was the last time he had been truly happy. He became honest himself at that moment. He needed that happiness again.

_Love._ Love was something he had forgotten how to feel since his parents died. What was love? Was is the fluttering feeling in his stomach, the momentary happiness at a certain presence and the immense sadness at its absence? Was it the intense pain mixed with the wonderful comfort? Was it when he looked at _her_?

He had wanted to believe he didn't love her. But it was now slowly becoming inevitable.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura called from down the hall. "Dinner's ready!"

"Aa," he called back. What he wouldn't do to hear that call every night…

* * *

Sakura stood by the sink, washing the dishes and singing a tune under her breath. Sasuke watched her interestedly as he stood by her, drying the dishes. Somehow even the simple job of washing the dishes had become comforting to them both. 

"Hey, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked, not taking her eyes off the dishes.

"Hn?"

"You have any shirts I can use for a night dress? My sundress just doesn't cut it."

He nodded dumbly, his mind somewhere else. "Come over to my room after this and take your pick."

She smiled happily. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun!"

After washing the dishes (which Sasuke had oddly enjoyed) they went on to his room. Sasuke flung wide his blue closet and Sakura's mouth dropped at all the blacks and blues she could see.

"You don't have much variety, now do you?"

"Aa," he replied as she took down one of his favorite shirts; a long blue shirt with a high collar and the Uchiha fan at the back.

"This'll fit me perfectly!" she exclaimed gaily, skipping out of his room to his bathroom. "I'll be back!" she called. He smirked. She was amusing. He sat down on his futon and anticipated her return.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, Sakura came sauntering back. "Look!" she said cutely, modeling the clothes. The shirt fell to the middle of her thighs, and it was quite loose, the neckline occasionally slipping down her shoulders. As she twirled in front of him he could see her white shorts. He blushed as his eyes followed her white legs.

"It fits me!" she giggled. "And it smells so good… and it's so soft…!"

"Aa," he agreed quietly. She grinned at him and sat in front of him on the futon.

"Do you want to talk about anything?" she chirped, being the exact opposite of the weather.

"No," Sasuke said. Subconsciously, he held her hand and played with her fingers, debating whether he should tell her what he felt. "Yes, actually," he finally said.

"What is it?"

He took a deep breath and asked, "How is it to love someone?"

Sakura jerked. "How it is…?" Blood rushed to her cheeks. "Ara, how do I say this… To tell you the truth, Sasuke-kun, I've loved so much for so long I can't accurately describe it anymore, since I'm so used to the feeling…" She bit her lip, frowning thoughtfully. "I think it's feeling all kinds of emotions at the same time… pain and happiness and longing and loneliness… even hate…"

"Is… is that how you feel… with me, Sakura?" He couldn't believe it now. It really _was_ inevitable.

It was time for a consensus between them. "Do _you _feel that, Sasuke-kun?" Because, yes, that's how I feel," Sakura said softly. "You don't have to feel the same way, you know, Sasuke-kun." She smiled weakly. "Because I'm quite content just looking after you. That's why I'm here on your special day, and I want you to enjoy it as much as possible."

Sasuke always listened to his instinct. And as the feeling rolled up and down his chest, of longing, loneliness, and happiness, he did only what his instinct told him to do – seek warmth.

"Sasuke-kun…!" Sakura gasped as he wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace, crushing her warmth against his body.

"I… I think… Sakura…"

"Yes?"

"I think that… I…"

Sakura giggled, but her voice sounded shaky. "You don't have to tell me, Sasuke-kun, if it's so hard…" she whispered, her voice breaking. "I understand, Sasuke-kun… I really do… Me too… I love you too…"

It was the best birthday gift she could ever give him.

"Happy birthday, Sasuke-kun."

"Aa."

* * *

Sasuke watched the pink-haired beauty sleep beside him, lightly snoring. It had been a long day. And it had been the oddest birthday he had ever experienced. He let his fingers skim Sakura's petal-soft skin. She mumbled in her sleep and nuzzled deeper into his shirt. 

He couldn't fall asleep, not yet, not while he enjoyed the sight of her innocent sleeping face, even in the dark. She had fallen asleep in his arms awhile ago, and now he found he didn't mind sharing his futon with her. He watched her shift in her sleep, dancing to the music of the pounding rain.

He smiled as he watched her.

It wasn't because he was afraid to sleep now. Not when his Dreamcatcher was right beside him.

He had found it hard to tell her what he felt, being the person he was, but one day, he would tell her all the feelings that swirled inside his heart, smudging their colors along the canvas of his soul, all for her.

He just had to take it one step at a time.

"Happy birthday, indeed."

* * *

A new year in one's life is something to be thankful for, and even more so if people know you deserve it.

* * *

**AN:** Wow, heavy on the angst. But still fluffy. 

Do you know I'm completing this 5:30 in the morning of July 23 (night of July 22 to those who live in Europe and America)? That's how determined I am to show you guys what I have done for Sasuke's birthday.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SASUKE-KUN!

To respond to people…

* * *

**sasuke9999** – Yeah, I know it's funny. But great…? Ha… Thanks anyway! 

**Brandy Camel **– You do? That's great then! Oh, that line… I liked that line too. But I can't think of any good omake about it… Thanks for reviewing!

**crystal-gundam**** – **Oh, so _that's_ 'The Song That Never Ends'. I still can't remember the tune, though. Thanks and bye!

**Darkofthenight** – Thanks! Here's the update!

**PrincessChii**** – **Actually, the doll's a girl… I patterned it after my 'little sister'. Heh, when she saw your reviews, she pretended to cry and went, "Aww, now they hate me!"

**december**** jewel – **Yup, a lot of people's said that Jappi-chan's evil. See PrincessChii's review response, you'll get an idea of the real Jappi-chan's reaction.

**Tsuki**** Angel** – You couldn't…? I hope you've stopped long enough to read my story! Hehe…

**psychedelic**** aya – **I don't mean to sound stupid (which I am) but… what does LMAO mean…? Me and my 'imou-chan' don't know. Aba, sadista! Hehe, you enjoyed Sasuke's frustration, huh? Ah yes, I don't think I'll look at Itachi the same way, either. Anyway, tenkyu sa review! At sa lyrics!

**Phoenix**** Tamer – **AUGHHHH! SAVE ME! I updated, I updated! So don't throw nasty cruel steel at me… Gollum… Okay, I'm kidding. I can keep Sasuke in character? Thanks for that compliment! It's actually really hard work, you know…

**Ayane**** Selznick – **Thanks! Yeah, maybe it was cute… I can't wait for the fanart! Bigyan mo naman ako ng link, okay? And the next chapter ng SS, can't wait either! Yay! I hope this is angstily fluffy, though. Bye bye!

**chelle**** – **Oh, so Manila-based ka… no wonder you like Naruto. Showing pa diyan, right? Dito sa Davao, ni-replace ng stupid news na Bisaya. Yeah, like I care. Anyway, thanks for reviewing! Here's more!

**kurama**** kawai – **I just noticed, but I keep using the word giddy. 'La lang. Oh, interesting! Psychic…? Yeah, it's hard work to keep all the characters as in-character as possible, so thanks! And read PrincessChii's review response on what the real Jappi-chan had to say when she saw the reviews. Especially your review. She went, "Oh, great, now they think I'm Chuckie!" Yeah, the omake was randomly funny. Eep! Don't strangle me! Okay, thanks again for the review!

**Little Minamino – **I always appreciate encouragement. Thanks!

**sweetmaiden**** – **Thanks, I'm glad you did!

**Kawaii**** Koneko92 – **Thanks for the review! And like I told the others, read PrincessChii's review response…

**AiTenshiKosmos**** – **Oh, boy, how too true, it sux being stubborn. Thanks for reading!

**Oukaru**** Hanako – **Hey OuHa! (You keep saying Ohayou, lol and your name's **Ou**karu **Ha**nako, get it? Hehe…) I didn't know you thought this was the best one yet, I thought it was the worst. Ooh, I'm a good writer? Yipee! I never get tired reading the same compliment again and again… And a beta-reader too? Soo-weet! Thanks!

**Momiro-chan**– here's the update! Hope you liked it! Oh, don't fall off the chair, you might not be able to read this fic! Hehe… And yeah, Sasuke's gotta practice puckering up!

**MissxRae**** – **Aw, come on, it's not that good… Do you say that to all the stories you review? Because it's very flattering. Hehe… Thanks!

**dark-adonis**** – **Super-long but you don't get bored…? Uy, bihira lang yun, so thanks! Yup, tama, 50 plots. Dameh noh? Ikaw lang 'ata ang fan ni Jappi-chan… saying di niya nabasa ang review mo… Basahin mo ung response ko kay PrincessChii, and you'll get the idea. Till next time!

To all those who reviewed, here's a piece of Sakura's famous ultra moist chocolate cake! Enjoy!

* * *

Aww, only 20 reviews. Was it really that bad, or is it because I didn't wait long enough for more reviews? 

Anyway, the good news is, I hit the 100 mark in just 5 chapters! Big big BIG achievement for me! Yay! More reasons to celebrate! And I'm in 6 c2 archives now… That's an achievement, right? Thanks to all the people who made this possible!

I have to explain something. I mentioned somewhere that this is Sasuke's nineteenth birthday, right? And Sakura is eighteen? Well, it's just that I'd rather that Sasuke is older than her. Sakura's birthday is on March 28, and if she was born on the same year, she'd be older than Sasuke. Whereas if she was born later, she'd be the same age with Sasuke for three months. Anyway, if you want to disagree with me… I wouldn't want to debate. I'm nasty when I argue.

Anyway, please review, people! HAPPY BIRTHDAY SASUKE-KUN!


	7. Ribbon: Sentimentality of an Avenger

**AN: **O-MA-KE. Again. Are you guys tired of this yet? XD

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**Omake: She's Looking Lovely

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**Disclaimer:** I claim no ownership over Naruto. Hinata would use Gentle Fist on me, and a Little Angel of Blossoms only knows how to make it rain flowers.

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There was something different about her that night, something beautiful. He couldn't really tell what it really was, although he knew, just vaguely, he was in awe. 

She stood by the window, apparently not noticing him, one of the rare times she did. Luna's rays played shadows on her soft ivory skin, Aeolus weaved through her rose-colored hair, and her green eyes shone in the night. She was wearing some kind of midnight blue material he didn't recognize, and it fell around her slim form gracefully. It was almost a contrast as he viewed her from the door of their mutual bedroom; her white flesh against the silky material made her looked stunning to him.

He traced her form with his dark eyes; her frail looking body looked frailer still in her blue frock. The wind blew at her, causing the blue material, which was just short of her knees, to flutter slightly, giving him a view of her creamy legs. He blushed as he took in the sight of his beautiful kunoichi. That beauty in the blue satin was his. He felt a sudden surge of possessiveness at the thought.

But something was undoubtedly wrong. It was right, yet terribly wrong at the same time. She wasn't too beautiful without a reason.

"Sakura?"

She turned, her hair whipping around. He smiled slightly as she lit up, her smile quite innocent. It was one of the things that he loved most about her. "Oh, Sasuke-kun! You're home! ANBU mission over so soon? You must have been bored!"

But more important matters were at hand, he decided, as she wrapped her warm arms around his waist, her soft body pressed against his hard chest.

"Sakura?"

"Yes, Sasuke-kun?" She frowned, searching his face. "Is there something wrong? You look odd."

He looked down on her, his expression determinedly unfathomable. She was suspiciously beautiful that night, and now he knew why. He felt stupid not to have seen it before. He didn't know how she could have thought about something so… ridiculous. He was determined to get to the bottom of it.

"Sakura…"

She looked up, blinking innocently. "Yes?"

"What are you doing in my favorite shirt? And aren't those my socks?"

* * *

**AN:** I like imagining Sakura-chan in Sasuke's shirt and socks. I've been playing with the idea for some time now. I might even make a fic involving it, though not revolving around it. 

Anyway, enough talk… we're going to tackle the next fic! That was only for a taster!

As prelims… Sasuke has a secret, something he would never dare share to anyone. It's that when he left Konoha, everyone thought he left all his memories and mementos behind. Unbeknownst to them all, he had taken one single item that still held the mark of a certain Konoha kunoichi… Please read and review!

**Warning: **OOC, but for a reason. I never make characters OOC without a reason.

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**Marshmallow 7:**

**Ribbon: Sentimentality of an Avenger

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Uchiha Sasuke. Avenger.

Sasuke was an avenger. It was a self-proclamation, and it was the cold, hard fact. As an avenger, he had no room for sentimentalities in himself. Everything was composed of revenge, training, and goals, which lead to killing the bringer of his misery, _that man,_ his own brother. Everything else would fall into place later, he supposed. Nothing mattered to him but his brother's eventual demise in his hands. After all, he had left everything that was supposed to matter in Konoha. He had left jovial yells, hysterical laughter, and warm smiles. They only got in the way. An avenger does not have sentimentalities. It was a rule for him.

Yet every rule had an exception.

Uchiha Sasuke had a secret. No one knew, not Itachi, not Orochimaru, not even Kabuto, who always seemed to know everyone's weakness.

When he had left his former life as a Leaf shinobi, he left everything that would remind him of Konoha: his hitai-ate, which now bore a slash across it as a result of his last battle with Naruto, the picture of team 7 all together, left lying facedown in his room, and everything else that had the distinct mark of Konoha and its inhabitants.

Save for one.

As he made ready to leave the Hidden Village of Sound, he pocketed a thin strip of red, which had tied back pink silk once before. He stepped out of his house and made sure to stay in the shadows lest he met those damned bastards who only wanted the power of the eyes he possessed.

He grasped the piece of cloth in his pocket as he sped out of the house unseen. He was going back. Back to the one whose fragrance of cherry blossoms left faint traces of her scent on the crimson ribbon.

* * *

_I'm… so hungry…_

A small raven haired boy with his hair stuck up in odd angles sat on a swing, his eyes drooping and his mouth in a hungry grimace. His stomach gurgled, but he swallowed the urge to run home alone. It was one of those rare times when his niisan would walk home with him, and he wasn't about to pass up the chance.

Uchiha Sasuke swung himself, letting his head dangle from his neck to look at the clouds above. It was a sweltering hot August day, and he was getting impatient. He had half a mind to go where his brother was training, when he heard distant sniffles.

He righted himself, frowning. From afar, he could see a small figure sitting on the ground and three bigger figures, standing imposingly. He watched as the three larger figures, two boys and a girl, speak to the smaller girl in low tones. They seemed to be taunting her, as the girl hiccupped and hid her face behind her hands, and they smirked. One of them muttered something that seemed especially offensive, as the pink-haired girl opened her mouth to defend herself. But before she could, the bigger female slapped her. She gasped as the hand made contact, then she burst into fresh tears.

Now, as aforementioned, he was Uchiha Sasuke, and he was one who did not care for heroics. But beneath his six year old exterior was a beast, roaring bloody murder at the scene he had just witnessed. A gut feeling told him that he was supposed to play knight in shining armor to this little princess in distress.

He slipped off the swing and casually strolled over to the group, picking a pebble up as he went. Then, with hit man accuracy, he aimed the stone at one of the boys, who was about to slap the little girl again. Before his hand could hit the girl, Sasuke's stone landed on his head with a dull _thud_.

"Hey!" the boy he just hit yelled, rounding on Sasuke, who stood his ground. "You'll pay for that, brat!"

"You shouldn't hit little girls you know," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets, moving slowly in front of the sniffling girl. He heard her gasp in surprise.

"You want me to hurt _you_?" the boy snarled, pulling up his sleeve.

"You'll get hurt even before you can touch me," Sasuke said, smirking arrogantly. "You're just a bunch of academy dropouts."

"What did you say?" the hulk of a girl cried, reddening.

"Let's teach this punk to mind his own business," the second boy growled. Giving a yell, he threw a punch to the youngest Uchiha.

"Look out!" the pink-haired girl shrieked behind him.

Sasuke took the punch in his small hand. As the boy had a momentary pause, the Uchiha used the fist as leverage to lift up in the air. His small body formed a graceful arch, and he let his foot down on the bigger male's head, causing him to come crashing down head first with Sasuke on his crown. He leapt off lightly and barely dodged the other boy's kunai, which slit his upper arm. Not minding the stinging pain, he rammed his elbow into the bully's side, making him collapse. Foolishly, the female bully decided to fight, but Sasuke easily ducked under her incoming punch and threw his own at her stomach. She reeled and fell.

Bloody, dirty, and bruised, the trio staggered away, cursing. Sasuke exhaled deeply, muttering, "Ha, bullies. It's always the same with them." It was a good thing that he often spied his brother training. He only wished that he didn't need such heavy handed fighting, though. He shook his hand to get the circulation back.

"Wow, I wish I was that good." Sasuke turned, and there _she_ was, dirty, tearstained, and wide-eyed with awe. She looked strange, which made _him_ feel strange. He had never seen such soft, shiny, _pink_ hair in all his life, and she was so pale that she seemed to glow even in the sunshine. And her eyes… they were a shade of green he had never seen before, like there was a light in them he couldn't explain. She looked a bit on the ghost-like side, though, with her hair falling into her face so that it hid most of it.

Then she smiled.

He felt odd, as though his stomach was dropping and rising. He felt his jaw sag at the radiance of her shy smile. She looked… pretty, in an ethereal sort of way, and he somehow knew that if her face wasn't dirty and tearstained, and her hair wasn't unkempt and was tied back, then she'd be downright beautiful.

She giggled, a far cry from her previous disposition. "Are you… okay?" she asked. He jolted; he realized that he had been staring for quite a while.

"Aa," he replied, dazed and blushing. Her girlish laugh grew louder. He scowled ruefully. "What?"

"You're funny," she laughed. He reddened a bit more in embarrassment. She tilted her head a little, now serious. "You're hurt, aren't you?" she asked, pointing to his arm.

"It's nothing," he said quickly. He felt ashamed; his brother never usually got injuries from any kind of fight. The girl pulled his arm towards her and bit her lip.

"It looks bad."

"It's _nothing_."

To a five year old female eye, however, it wasn't. A gash running half the length of his arm, slightly bleeding, looked quite mangled to her. However, instead of blanching, like Sasuke expected her to, she just took his uninjured arm. "Come on," she urged. "Before it gets – what's that big word?"

"Infected?"

"Yeah!" the girl said, lighting up. "You're pretty smart!" Sasuke rolled his eyes. She was ridiculously naïve.

He sat by the water fountain, watching her graceful yet childlike movements as she wet her kerchief on the fountain and washed the wound with it. Sasuke bit his lip to keep from shouting in pain as she swabbed the wound gently. "It's all right to cry, you know," she said quietly as she cleaned the wound.

"I'm not a sissy," Sasuke snorted. She only offered him a shy half-smile.

She held his arm away to look at her handiwork. "Well, one last thing," she said, more to herself. Sasuke watched curiously. She reached into her hair and untied her already loose red ribbon. She stuck her tongue out in apparent concentration and began wrapping the cloth around his arm like a bandage. "There, all done!"

"I really didn't need it, but thanks," Sasuke said gratefully.

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept through the park. It ran through the girl's roseate hair, revealing her abnormally large forehead. Sasuke stared, and the girl hastily flattened her hair around it, clearly embarrassed, and averted her eyes. "What's the matter?" Sasuke asked. The green-eyed girl's head dropped a little, and she played with the hem of her shirt, mumbling something along the lines of "too ugly" and "big forehead". Sasuke, being smart enough to put two and two together, said in a surprised tone, "Oh, but you're prettier when your hair isn't on your forehead."

The girl looked up hopefully. "You… you think so…?" Sasuke nodded, and a pink blush blossomed prettily around her pale cheeks.

They stood there, staring at each other shyly. Sasuke could feel his heart pounding. Then, she stammered, "Well, I have to go home now… my – my mama wants me home by lunch…"

"Already?" Sasuke asked, hoping he didn't sound as disappointed as he felt.

"Oh, I'm sorry if I have to leave you alone!" the coral-haired girl exclaimed, bowing quickly. Then she smiled timidly. "But we'll see each other for sure… I don't want to go… but my mama wants me to go to school at the Ninja Aca – Aca-"

"Academy?" She nodded and bowed her head bashfully. Sasuke scratched the back of his head. "Aa, probably."

The girl's voice began to grow smaller, her hair falling into her face once more. "Well… I have to go now…" She gave him one last bright smile before walking away, looking a little more confident than before.

Everyday after that, Sasuke would come back to the park, just to see her again, but after two weeks of waiting in vain, he gave up. She wasn't going to come back, he decided. She really was like a ghost. He wondered if she was.

A few months later, in the Academy, he would find her, shy, withdrawn, and lonelier than ever.

And he wouldn't recognize her.

* * *

Sasuke broke through the last of Orochimaru's defenses, using the snake Sannin's techniques against him. All his efforts not to be seen had gone to waste, but he didn't care. He wanted to go home. He _needed_ to go home. His revenge was fulfilled. He didn't want his life spent as a body for some lying, manipulative bastard. Heck, he didn't want to be a body for anyone else but himself. He needed to get back to her and to everyone else he had left. 

He had never planned this at all. He hadn't thought of surviving the fight with Itachi. He had thought he would leave the world without Uchihas because of the sheer power and skill his brother possessed.

But as he had fought, a sudden urge to survive overtook him, making him stronger. Then, he didn't know where the desire had come from, and he assumed it was because he needed to fulfill his other goal of reviving his clan.

Yet now, as he left Sound burning, he knew that all he really wanted was to go home to her, to feel her arms around him, to be able to return to her that ribbon. He was glad he had not returned it sooner on _that_ perfect chance; now he had a reason to go back. The ribbon served as his last connection to his former life, and he would become a shell of a man if he lost it.

* * *

_Kaa-san… Tou-san…_

Sasuke knelt down on the graves of his parents, letting his tears fall to the ground. It was one of those times he felt vulnerable. Every year, he knelt there, remembering the day he had become alone in the world, with no one left to care for him, and he swore revenge by their graves.

Sasuke didn't care whether he was crying openly. No one would see him there. No one stepped into the Uchiha district anymore. It was only he who dared to walk the ghost town of the Uchihas. It was, after all, his.

Crying openly was one thing he did only once a year. He held in all the loneliness he felt, and he never went to their gravesite, only until his their death anniversary. He could vaguely remember tell _that_ girl that he didn't cry because he was a wuss. But now, there was no one around to think he was a wuss, anyway. He wasn't angry, just in terrible pain.

Knowing he was alone didn't help. He isolated himself, saying he'd rather be alone, but in reality, he wanted to be alone because if he learned to become close to anyone, certain death would follow that person. He shut himself in his own world, bent on revenge.

Loneliness… what did other people know about that, anyway? They say, "I'm feeling alone," but Sasuke doubted if the knew what real loneliness was. Only a few people knew what he felt. He had no one left to care, and he could not let anyone care for fear of losing them. _That_ was real loneliness, both self-inflicted and handed down by Fate. He blinked and let his tears fall.

"S-Sasuke-kun?"

He froze. What was _she_ doing here?

"Y-you weren't at training. I told Kakashi-sensei I'd find you-"

"Go away," he said sharply. "I'm not going there today."

"It's just that… you dropped something yesterday… I wanted to return it…"

He could hear her coming closer, and he clenched his fist. She knelt beside him, and when she caught a glimpse of his tearstained face, she gasped, "Oh, Sasuke-kun… Is today… when they…?" He didn't bother to answer, only vaguely feeling embarrassed at the fact she saw him in this state. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the pink-haired kunoichi press her palms together in respect.

She was whispering… what was it?

"Uchiha-san-tachi1, your youngest son is someone to be proud of. He… he is one of the best genin in the village… and even after your deaths he's still trying to be a good son. I know you're watching over him… and I want you to know that your son… is being cared for… because_ I_ care for him…"

Sasuke's eyes widened. After her short prayer, she turned to him, smiling meekly. Without a word, she took out a familiar crimson strip from her pocket, lifted her hand, and dabbed away the remnants of the tears on his face. Sasuke felt cold and warm at the same time, at her soft touch, goose bumps crawling his skin.

"You dropped this at practice yesterday, you see, and I picked it up. I was going to return it today, but…" She tried to smile cheerfully again as she opened his immobile hand and placed the ribbon on it. He accepted it, still in a daze.

"Well, I'm sorry for intruding on your privacy, Sasuke-kun," she said softly. She gave him an awkward hug. "If… if you need anything, if you need to talk about anything at all… you know where to find me. Kakashi-sensei and Naruto, too." She let go of him and walked away slowly.

Sasuke wanted to kill himself at his lack of reaction. He felt he had to say something. He wanted to tell her she was stupid to care so much, that all he really wanted was to be left alone, and that whatever she felt for him, it wouldn't really be requited since it was him she was feeling for. He clutched the piece of silk in his palm.

"Hey."

He heard her turn. "Yes?"

He turned to face her, not quite meeting her eye. "Thank you."

And she smiled that smile again. "You're quite welcome, Sasuke-kun."

The incident was never mentioned in the days that followed.

* * *

Sasuke hissed as a wound at his side opened again. He had been walking for hours, and his strength was giving way. He had anticipated that escaping Sound would be hard, but he hadn't expected that he had to level it to leave it, and it had taken a considerable amount of stamina and chakra from him. 

But it didn't matter anymore. His sight may have been blacking out and his knees giving way, but he was determined to see his journey to the end.

He never regretted leaving, never regretted killing his brother, It was hard for him to regret anything. There were only two things he wished he could change: the fact he wasn't able to protect his parents, and the fact that he wasn't able to say a proper goodbye to her.

He wondered, if his parents weren't killed, would he have had months, or even years, to be together with her? Would he have continuously given her verbal beatings? If he had been able to say a proper goodbye to her, would he have been worried now? For the first time in a while, he was afraid of coming home to no one. He – he was quite embarrassed to admit it to himself now– was worried whether she'd waiting with open arms and an open heart, or not.

She was always kind and thoughtful, especially to him. He had often wanted to tell her she was foolish to always risk her life or he dignity for him, but she would counter he risked her life for her too, and she should only pay it back. He realized only later it was because she loved him too much, and she would keep on falling down for him, whatever he told her.

He felt empty now that she was so far from him, and he wasn't able to tell her exactly what she meant to him; he had too much pride, and he was too in deep with his revenge. Once again, he was glad to have that one last connection with her. He wondered if she felt the connection too.

He had to get home. "Home" he called it now; he had known no other place with people who actually made him feel he really wasn't alone. Sasuke looked up, letting the moonlight guide him. He needed to get home, to let her, once again, save him.

* * *

"Oi, Sasuke," Naruto said from his perch overhead, on a tree. 

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, not bothering to look up as he sharpened kunai. Naruto hung upside down from the branch by molding chakra to his feet. Sasuke frowned; the moron was getting better every day. Besides, the blond was getting too close to his face, and there was an experience involving that he didn't care to repeat. "What do you want?" he asked, getting a muscle tick under his eye in annoyance.

Naruto gave a side-long glance at the pink-haired kunoichi who was listening intently to their teacher's lecture about genjutsu. Sasuke followed Naruto's gaze. "Do you like her?" Naruto asked, watching the girl nod vigorously.

"What do you mean?" Sasuke muttered, resuming what was he was doing, although he knew exactly what Naruto meant.

"I mean, do you like her _like her_?" Naruto pressed.

"…no."

Naruto fell off from his perch headfirst. "Ouch!" he cried as his legs folded on top of him. Sasuke sighed, not looking at him still. "But, but, why not?"

"Because she's weak and annoying."

Naruto frowned, not understanding. "But what about those times when she saved you? Remember the Chuunin exams, when she jumped in front of you to save you from Gaara?"

The Uchiha genius closed his eyes. "That was pure stupidity. You wouldn't have needed to beat up that Gaara kid if she hadn't done that."

Naruto was indignant on his best female friend's behalf. "Idiot! You wouldn't be here talking about her if she hadn't done that in the first place!" Suddenly, Naruto's frown was replaced with a grin. "But then, you already like her …"

Sasuke opened one eye. "And your proof is…?"

"When she hugged you that time when old hag Tsunade healed you, you didn't push her away! And when I went back to the room after I went to Kakashi-sensei, I heard you talking to each other! When I looked, she had her head on your bed and you were touching her hair!" Naruto smirked triumphantly, crossing his arms. "What was that, then, if you don't like her? Tell me!"

"Shut up. What would _you_ know, anyway?" Sasuke snarled. He was quite determined not to tell Naruto that after had left, he, in fact, had quite a long talk with her.

"_Sasuke-kun_," she had said, "_I'm glad you're all right now…_"

He was not going to tell Naruto how his hand had lingered at her back, asking, "_How long have I been here?_"

"_A – a month…_"

"_And – you were here everyday?_"

She had giggled amidst her tears, reddening. "_The nurse said it was practically like I lived here._"

He could never bring himself to tell Naruto that he had told her, "_You don't have to do that for me. You didn't have to._"

"_But Sasuke-kun, I wanted to._"

He couldn't take Naruto's reaction if he told him what he had said and done: "_Would you stop it? That's annoying, what you're doing. You're being stupid, caring… caring for me this way, because I don't need it!_" She had looked surprised. And head though she was going to cry, but then…

He could never live it down if he told Naruto his pride had been crushed by her words. "_Do you remember what Kakashi-sensei told us on that first day? 'Those who don't follow rules are trash.' But…_" she choked, "_he also said those who don't help their friends out are worse than trash._" She had shaken her head violently, her tears falling, "_I never want to be trash! I'm already weak as it is…_" Her name had come out as a whisper from his lips as she stood up. Then she said, "_I – I think I'll leave._"

His pride would have hurt as much as that day if he told Naruto he had said, "_Don't leave._" She had looked back, stunned. "_I… you're right_," he mumbled. "_I'd rather you were weak than if you were trash. It would be… nice if you stayed…_"

A surprised look crossed her face then, and there it was, _that_ smile again. "_I'm… glad to know I'm needed._"

He could never let it escape his lips what Naruto had seen and heard were true. She had indeed stayed and cheered him up with her incessant rambling as she rested her head on his bed, while he ran his fingers through the soft silk. She was the salve to the psychological torture for him that day.

"So what, so what, Sasuke?" Naruto said, breaking his thoughts. "Don't zone out on me! If it's not that, then what is it really, if it's not liking her?"

"It's…"

Naruto went closer. "It's…?"

Sasuke gave a smirk and beckoned Naruto closer, looking around conspiratorially. Naruto looked positively excited at knowing his best friend and rival's secret.

"…it's none of your business."

"_What_?"

* * *

Sasuke slumped down against a tree, panting. He had been walking for a couple of days now. He tore a piece of his bandages around his arms and began to clumsily patch up the wound at his side. He was losing blood quickly, and he needed a medic. 

The first thought that crossed his mind was of her. He had heard from Orochimaru that the Hokage had managed to acquire an exceptional apprentice, and the Snake Sannin expressed his amusement at how all three Sannin had a second apprentice who were once Kakashi's students. He had only stared at the Sannin stoically, although he had thought, if he and Naruto had Sannin for teachers, why not her? It was only appropriate. He wondered how skillful she was now. He wondered, if she was there right now with him, if she would be able to heal the wound.

The thought of her stronger, maybe almost as strong as he and Naruto, gave him mixed sensations. A part of him was proud that she had come so far in only a few years, but at the same time, he felt oddly bad, for it meant she didn't need protection any longer.

He wanted to see how much she had changed. How would she look now? Somehow, he couldn't imagine her not being a wispy, small twelve year-old, but he knew that she definitely must have grown. How much had she changed when he left? Was she still happy, optimistic, and a bit of a worrywart? Or had she, like had, faced with loss, locked her heart away, along with her laughs and smiles? He wanted to see her more than ever.

He hoped, in that sense, she hadn't changed. He knew that he had broken her heart countless times, and he had finally reduced it to powder when he had left, but he counted on that unbelievable trait of hers to bounce back.

* * *

A dark figure walked the silent roads of Konoha, his head bowed, and his hands clenched in his pockets. Here, finally, was his chance to become stronger in a shorter amount of time, to be able to catch up to the strength of _that_ man. 

Uchiha Sasuke watched his feet as they took him to the place that would lead him out of Konoha. He had decided: it wasn't worth staying here. He was an avenger. He had to leave behind everything that wasn't part of training.

One of his fingers ran across a silken object in his pocket, as though mocking his thoughts. In all irony, he had actually taken one of the things that would make him feel sentimental, a feeling that was supposed to be put out of his mind and heart. He felt more frustrated at himself than ever; what was in this stupid red strip of cloth that made him feel as though he would die if he would be parted from it?

Soft footsteps interrupted his thoughts. He narrowed his eyes, feeling a familiar, melancholy aura coming towards him. Suddenly, his heart began to beat faster, faster, so fast that it was hard keeping himself from showing any emotion. Then, it was slowing down again, slower, slower, as though he was losing life. And so it beat – faster now, slower now.

Why her, why now? What was it in him that made her follow him instinctively? It was as though she had a finely-tuned radar for him. She caught sight of him, and her eyes widened at the sight of his packed bag. He knew then that she knew what he was there for. He paused.

"What are you doing here so late at night? Out for a nighttime stroll?"

She seemed to strengthen her resolve. "In order to leave this village," she began in a quiet voice, bowing her head, "you have to pass by this road."

Although he was certainly thinking of doing so, a part of him was holding him back from lashing out at her, because he knew someone's heart was about to be broken. He clutched at the red silk in his pocket tighter, but he showed no emotion.

"Go home and sleep," he said coldly, hoping silently that she would take the hint and not watch him step on her heart. He sidestepped her as she stood her ground. He walked further away from her, each step deliberate and careful. She was going to start on him, and his mind was in conflict on whether he should run or he should stay and listen. His fingers dug into his palm as he held the ribbon.

He could almost hear her tears fall down her cheeks. "Why?" she asked quietly. Her sad and breaking voice rang in his ears as she asked, "Why won't you tell me anything? Why do you always shut everyone out? Why won't you say anything to me-"

"Why should I tell you anything?" he interrupted coldly, pausing in his steps, determinedly not looking at her, as guilt began to slowly eat away at his heart, a feeling that he didn't recognize as such. He hated it when she cried. "I'm telling you that you meddle too much. Stop bothering me all the time."

"You always act like you hate me, Sasuke-kun," she said, a forced smile in her voice. He said nothing. "Do you remember? When we became genin?" He wanted to shut his ears, but he suppressed the desire. "On that day, when the three-man teams were decided, we were alone on this very spot…" His heart thumped louder than ever in his ears. "You were angry at me, weren't you?"

_"See? He doesn't have any parents," a girl with long pink hair said arrogantly. Sasuke frowned darkly. "Being alone, he doesn't have to get yelled at. That's why he's so unruly!"_

_A breeze blew past. "Loneliness…" he murmured._

_"Huh?" she asked, leaning forward._

_"You can't compare it to how you feel after getting scolded by your parents."_

_The tone of her voice changed to worry. "What's… wrong?"_

_He turned to face her, anger blazing in his black orbs. "You are annoying." She gasped and her eyes widened. He walked away, but he knew she was still staring at his back._

He could feel her look up hopefully, and he knew she was smiling. He bit his lip, then released it. "I don't remember."

She sucked in her breath. He could hear her tears fall like raindrops on the ground. She released her breath shakily. "That's right," she said, trying and failing to sound cheerful. "That was a long time ago." He felt her look up. "But it started on that day. You and I, and Naruto and Kakashi-sensei…"

He knew what she was talking about. As if he was watching a film, he found himself reminiscing about their first days together, training. He could remember that rising feeling in his heart whenever the four of them did things together.

"The four of us have done a lot of missions together," she continued as he remembered all those times he slowly learned to smile again, with everyone else. "It was difficult, and it was awful, but…" He swallowed a lump in his throat, remembering all those times with his team. "But… even so… it was fun!" Even with his back turned to her, he still showed no emotion, but his soul was a confusion of such. She sniffed. "I know what happened to your clan. But with revenge alone, you will not be able to make anyone happy." A cloud passed over the moon, darkening the place. "No one…" she continued, her voice silent. "Neither you, or me…"

Why did she have to do this to him now? "I know that," he said, strengthening his decision, although his conscience screamed at him not to, but as always, he ignored it. She gave a sound of surprise. "I am different from you guys. I follow a different path from you guys. The four of us together… it's true I've thought of it as one possible path. But despite that, my heart has chosen revenge." His eyes narrowed. "That's what I live for. I can't be like you or Naruto."

She stepped forward, the anguish in her voice more obvious than ever. "Aren't you going to be lonely by yourself? Sasuke-kun, you told me that being alone is painful!" He frowned even more, the strength of his resolve fluctuating. What was she doing to him? "I know that very well, so much that it hurts!" Tears dropped faster on the ground. "I have family and friends. But… if you leave, for me…" she choked, "to me, it's the same thing as being alone!"

He looked down, guilt washing over him as he thought about what she had said. But to build up his resolution again, he said quietly, "From now on, new paths will start." He heard her step forward.

"I…" she cried, "I love you more than anything!"

His heart stopped then, and then it began to beat faster and faster as he listened, his stomach twisting into different forms. "If you are by my side," she sobbed, despair warping around her tone, "I will make sure you won't regret it. I will make every day more enjoyable, and you _will_ be happy! I would do anything for you! That's why… I beg of you! Please stay here!" She sounded even more desperate as she cried, "I will even help you with your revenge! There must be something I can do! That's why…" her voice quieted down, anguish still evident, "…please… stay here with me…"

What was she doing to make this decision break down? If he didn't care what she thought, why was what she was saying getting to him? The moon reappeared from behind the cloud. She sucked her breath in again as she tried to contain herself. "If that's not possible…" she amended, her voice so quiet that he strained to hear, "…please take me with you…" She sniffed again, sobs coming out louder from her chest.

She was annoying. Why did her tears affect him this way? Why did they always make him stop in his tracks? The most annoying thing in the world, to him, was her tears. It was now or never. This had to make his decision permanent.

He turned to her, his voice cold, his smirk not reaching his eyes. He took a good look at her tearstained face, the face he hated to see in tears. "After all this, you're still annoying." She gasped, and he turned to walk away again, feeling that what was done was done. Then he heard her take another step.

"Don't go!" she screamed. She ran after him. "If you go, I'll scream and-"

He had had enough. He couldn't stand the way she was affecting him. Quickly, he moved so that in the blink of an eye he was behind her.

Another cold breeze blew, making his skin prickle. None of them said a word. He had another immediate decision to make, and it was over with quickly. She had tried her best to make him happy, and now she had tried her best to make him stay. There was nothing she could do now, but there was something he could do, something he needed to do.

Her name flowed out of his throat smoothly, and he let his tongue glide over it, savoring the sensation it left in his mouth. It was the most annoying, most beautiful name in the world.

"Thank you…"

He watched her shoulders move up abruptly as she gasped. The wind weaved in and out of her light crimson locks, locks that were tied back once by the ribbon he clutched at in his pocket. As if in slow motion, he took out his hand.

_Thump._

She fell. He could almost hear his name on her lips. _Sasuke…kun…_

He caught her unconscious form and set her on a nearby bench. How he wanted to stay now as she lay, crying in her sleep. Subconsciously, he wanted to wake her up and tell her it was all a horrible nightmare.

_She loves me…_

Suddenly, a burning desire took over him. He couldn't stay. Not when there was a man he needed to kill. Before his resolve could be broken down any further, he turned on his heel and left, leaving the one person of whom he carried a memento of.

* * *

It was nighttime of the third day. Sasuke was exhausted, having only slept a little and eaten a little in the past few days. Some of his wounds had closed now, but he had also lost a lot of blood. 

He looked up hopefully, his eyes guided by the moonlight. There it was, the walls of the home he had betrayed once before. Behind it were his teacher, his best friend and rival, and the most annoying girl in the world. He was finally back. Slowly, he walked down the hill, his every step purposeful. His desire gave him the strength he needed for one last slog. Finally, he reached the wall. He put his hand against it, panting. He was home.

"Oi, you there," he heard someone call from above him. "Who are you and what's your business?"

He opened his mouth to speak, but words failed him as he dropped to his knees. His long journey, his pains, and his exhaustion were too much to handle all at once. Slowly, he fell to the ground, his eyes closing. "I'm home…" he whispered, over and over again as the guard above him leapt down, asking if he was all right. "I'm home…"

He could vaguely hear the shouts around him as he smiled a true smile for the first time in years.

"Good lord, it's the Uchiha kid! After all these years too! Quick, call the Godaime and her two apprentices!"

"What should we do with him?"

"Put salve on his wounds right away! Where's the first aid kit?"

His eyes closed completely, and soon he was unaware of his surroundings. He felt himself being pulled onto a stretcher, but only vaguely. All he could think about were their faces, and what would be their reaction to see him back.

He opened his eyes again, slowly, very slowly. His eyes, still half-closed, adjusted to the light, and he felt that the place was oddly familiar. _A hospital room…? How did I get here so fast?_

"Where is he?" a voice far away asked. "Where's my next patient? Goodness, they come in faster these days, ne? In this room, right?"

"Miss," another voice said warily, "I don't think you should-"

"Oh nonsense," the first voice, a female one, said snappishly. "I have a lot of patients to take care of, and I have to get from one to another quickly so that I can tend to them all, so don't say that I shou-" She stopped abruptly.

A sharp intake of breath. An object clattering to the ground. Then, a voice. His heart pounded wildly.

"Sasuke…kun…?"

"He's been there for twenty minutes, miss, and his right hand, we can't take it out from his pocket, it's strange, but-"

"Go," the first voice choked. "You – you take care of the other patients-"

"But miss-"

"Go!"

"Yes, miss."

Quick footsteps. A sudden halt. Then, a gasp. He braced himself.

"Sasuke-kun…!"

He smirked. "Heh."

He opened his eyes fully. There she was, looking down on him, her hands on the edge of his bed, her graceful mouth open. Her roseate hair was pulled up into a messy bun, her face was pale, and her green orbs were swimming in tears. She sniffed.

"Bastard." He raised his eyebrows. She smiled sadly. "After all this time, that's all you can say?" She blinked, and her tears fell onto his blanket. She screwed up her eyes closed, biting her lip. A sob escaped her lips as she knelt down, crying into his bedspread. "Dammit… I told myself… I wouldn't cry if I saw you again…" She regained composure and stood up, wiping her eyes on her arm. "Sasuke-kun," she began shakily. "You're a classified S-rank criminal now, even if all you did was join Orochimaru."

"I know."

"Even if you came back willingly, you'll still be tried."

"I know that."

"There's a big possibility you might be imprisoned for life, or even executed."

"I know that too."

"But why?" she cried, and the anguish was back in her voice. "I would have rather you didn't come back, since there would be a possibility you would remain alive, but you came back, with the possibility you would be executed!" He raised his free hand and beckoned her closer. She bent her head. Slowly, he slid his hand from his pocket, the red ribbon in between his fingers. He saw her eyes widen. He raised his hand up, reached into her hair, and pulled its hair tie free. Her hair cascaded gracefully down her back.

"Take this," he croaked, pushing the ribbon onto her palm. "It suits you better."

"You risked your life… you came back… just to give me this?" she asked in a would-be-calm voice.

"I don't need it anymore…" he murmured. "This thing… it annoys me. It left me one last connection to you. I'm not sure why I took it with me. But now that I'm home… I don't need that connection anymore…"

"Home?" she repeated. "Do you still think… Konohagakure no Sato is your home?"

"Aa…"

"Then… then…" she stammered, "you aren't going away anymore?"

"Do I have a choice?"

"No, you don't," she agreed. She wrapped her arms around him, and he felt her tears drip onto his shirt. "I don't care anymore… I'm going to fight for you… I'm going to help you get through your trial… I'm going to…" She raised her head and gave him a smile. "Welcome home, Sasuke-kun…"

"Aa," he nodded weakly.

She was the girl who made him fall in love for the first time, the girl who comforted him even if he pushed her away, girl whom he strongly denied any feeling for, the girl he last talked to, the girl he had feelings for once again, after years of not being able to feel anything but hate and anger.

"I'm home…"

"Sakura…"

* * *

Sentimentalities are hard to forget, and even harder to throw away.

* * *

**AN**: 1Mr. and Mrs. Uchiha 

Well, that's probably the longest I've ever written. What do you think?

Anyway, I can't respond to each and every review, since this is going to take too much space. I'm only going respond to reviews I think I need to respond to, okay? If I didn't respond to your review, please don't feel bad!

* * *

**PrincessChii** - Nah, she knows she helped. She was quite amused, actually. 

**psychedelic aya** - Well, LMAO then! Yeah, I think I liked those parts too. The omake... I think that's got to be one of my favorite omake.

**Keito-kun** - I don't make fanfics of other couples because this collection is about SasuSaku only, but you notice that I drop hints about other couples, ne? I'm thinking of posting the only NaruHina fic I have ever made though...

**drunkdragon** - You know, I like Rurouni Kenshin's Kenshin and Kaoru pairing too, and in the Net, there are a lot of teacher-student fics revolving around them. But even if I do like the pairing, I still don't read the fics, because those kind of fics make me uncomfortable. It's the same with SasuSaku. I'm really sorry, but please don't feel bad. I appreciate the offer. Really! Honest!

**kurama-kawai** - Nah, her feelings didn't get hurt, she was quite amused, actually. Kunwari lang yung iyak-iyak niya... Thanks for the long review, as usual!

**Ayane Selznick** - Tears...? Maybe it's because I write terribly... Nihihihihi... Or maybe because you're sleepy. Sasuke sorted out his feelings because he was feeling emotional that day. And the adjectives? - scratches head sheepishly - Nah, I meant that. To stir feelings in the reader, my English teacher would say. Thanks for reviewing! And yeah, the link you gave me won't show up right. Maybe if you typed spaces in between, like for example: wwwspace.googlespace.spacecom.

**Oukaru Hanako** - Eek! You flatter me too much! If I could blush (which I couldn't, given my complexion) I would've. And as you noticed... I got Net again! Whoopee! It takes me one and a half hour to get connected, but still! I can officially be your beta-ed again!

To the **35 people **(eep! 35! oh my freakin' goodness, you guys are too kind!) who reviewed, you receive a Kisame barf bag!

* * *

Well, thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think! 


	8. BiteSized: Tomatoes and Ohagi

**AN:** Hey guys! After three weeks of not updating, I'm back and running! Oheee!

We'll have tomato stories next. You guys know that Sasuke's favorite food is tomato, right? Well, for those who didn't, now you do! Heehee!

Anyway, onto the omake!

* * *

**Why is Sakura Like Tomatoes?

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: **I only own my brain. I am a poor high school student who gets roughly ten dollars (which is a lot in my country) every month as stipend. I'm willing to bet getting sued won't be good for me.

* * *

"Hey, hey, Sasuke," Naruto said cheerily, waving the red apple in the Uchiha heir's face. "Thanks for treating me." 

Sasuke pushed Naruto's hand away from his face and took out a bright red tomato from out of the small shopping bag. "No problem," he said, biting into the juicy vegetable, letting its fluids flow into his mouth. _Mmm__, good._

The Kyuubi vessel opened his mouth to bite into the apple, but then stopped short. "Are you sure this isn't poisoned?" he asked Sasuke suspiciously. His sixteen year old teammate raised an eyebrow.

"Moron. You saw me buy it, so you could've seen me if I put something in it," Sasuke replied, scowling.

Naruto grinned. "Just checking." He bit into the apple noisily. "Mmm, yummy. Fruits are the only plants I'll ever it, aside from the ones they put in ramen."

"I'm surprised you haven't died from ramen overdose," Sasuke muttered.

They walked in silence to the training ground where they were supposed to be meeting their pink-haired teammate, Naruto happily eating the apple away, and Sasuke euphoric over being able to eat his favorite food again after a long time (read: one and a half day).

"So, so, Sasuke," Naruto began, attempting to make small talk with his rival-slash-best friend, "you like tomatoes?"

Sasuke didn't reply, only looking into the direction where they were headed. Flashes of red and pink told them Sakura was already practicing ahead.

Presently, Sasuke bit into his tomato again, and, without taking his eyes off the training ground (or a certain pink-haired medic, whichever), said, "Oi, Naruto."

"Yeah?" Naruto asked.

"Why do you think Sakura is like tomatoes?"

The loud ninja screwed up his mouth inquisitively. "Eh, what, what? What kind of question is that?"

"Just answer me," Sasuke said irritably.

Naruto's eyes narrowed in contemplation. "Well, is it because she can be sweet or sour?"

"…it's not that, but yeah, she fits the description."

They went nearer to the training grounds and watched as Sakura grinned after totally destroying the stump of wood she was practicing on. They found craters all over the field, as a result of her insane strength. "Hmm," Naruto murmured thoughtfully, biting into the apple again, which was almost to its core. "I know!" he exclaimed, spraying apple bits into the air. Sasuke wrinkled his nose disgustedly. "It's because she wears red most of the time, right?"

The Sharingan user rolled his eyes. "How superficial can you get, you clumsy idiot?"

The Uzumaki was running out of ideas. _Ah, well, third time's the charm._

True to his training under Jiraiya, he sidled up to Sasuke, who shifted uncomfortably, getting a muscle tic under his eye. "It's because she's _soft_ and _juicy_ to the mouth, isn't she?" he asked slyly. "Or maybe you imagine her to be-"

"Shut up," Sasuke said, reddening like the tomato in his hand. "It's _definitely_ not that."

Naruto scowled. "Then what, then what? What makes Sakura like tomatoes?" he asked, looking agitated. "Sasuke-teme, why do you always have to be confusing?"

Sasuke fell quiet, and Sakura seemed to notice them from afar. She brightened up, waving to them. Naruto shook his head and let go of the matter. "Sakura-chaaaan!" he yelled by way of greeting.

_Naruto__, why do you think Sakura is like tomatoes?_

He popped the last piece of tomato into his mouth. His mouth curved up to a small, barely visible smile.

_Because I like tomatoes.

* * *

_

**AN:** Okay, that was corny, it a weird, fluffy-ish sort of way. Ah, well, that's life. Hee.

Anyway, onto the next fic! Lately, I've been giving you ansgty pieces, so this time, I think it's about time I gave you a light one, just to pick up the mood. I absolutely love this idea, so I hope you will too.

It's still about tomatoes, but this time, with the addition of ohagi. I'm not sure about Sakura's food preferences, but there's this one episode when she thought about giving some of her mother's homemade ohagi to Ino, Naruto and Sasuke. If her mother makes ohagi, that must mean she somehow likes them.

Also, this is going to be a bit shorter than my other fics. That's why I made the omake a little longer for your reading pleasure. I know some of you love long fics, so I might as well apologize for making the main story shorter.

* * *

**Marshmallow 8:**

**Bite-Sized: Tomatoes and Ohagi

* * *

**

The sun's rays filtered through the leaves of the trees as Uchiha Sasuke trained hard. He shot kunai to the target, and before it could land, he formed a few quick seals. "Katon: Goukkyaku no Jutsu!" he yelled.

As soon as the kunai hit the bull's eye, the target was burnt to a crisp. Sasuke landed, panting. "Too slow," he muttered to himself. He decided to grab a bite of breakfast before he trained some more.

He went inside his house and made himself a cup of coffee and set some eggs and bacon on a frying pan. One of the benefits of living alone was that no one was there to tell him what to eat, or when to eat, for that matter. No one dictated what he should do, and he liked it that way. It had been that way for eight years, and he preferred if it stayed that way.

It got lonely, of course. There was no doubt about that. He missed his mother's gentle voice whenever she told him how his father spoke highly of him. He longed for the sound of his father's firm voice as he told him that he was proud his little boy was getting better.

The house was always empty when he left it, and empty when he got home, unless some fangirl managed to track him down and corner him. At times, he felt like screaming at the deafening silence, but at times, especially after a long, hard mission, he welcomed it. However, these days, he couldn't help but wonder how it would be if he came home with a hot meal on the table, a nice bath prepared for him, and a warm smile greeting him, asking him how his day was. Not that he wished for it, but he was quite curious.

There were times that the house wasn't empty except for him, and it was always on those days when he thought he would've preferred to be alone. There was a time when his teammates Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura decided to invade his house. They had gone over to each other's houses already, and they had always wanted to see how the interior of the Uchiha mansion looked like. They had made him lead them to his house, and unwillingly (or so he wanted to believe) he brought them there.

They had been amazed at the vastness of the Uchiha estate, which was quite empty. There were smaller houses all over, but easily the biggest house was his. He wondered if they had felt the distinct aura of death as they passed the vacant houses. However, all they had done was chat and tease each other, occasionally poking fun at him.

He could remember Sakura's reaction when they had entered the gate of his house. "_Uuwaaah_!" she had breathed, her mouth gaping open. "It's so… so… big! And it's so well-maintained too! Oh my goodness, Sasuke-kun, do you really maintain the garden this well?"

"I don't like long grass," had been his simple reply.

Naruto had run inside. "And it's so clean too! Heh, so Sasuke's a homemaker at heart, huh?" he had added, grinning slyly at the pink faced Uchiha.

"Shut up, you freaking moron," he had muttered, glaring at the Kyuubi vessel.

Almost every week after that, both of them had found some excuse to be wandering around the estate and knocking at his door, Sakura most especially. It annoyed him to no end, and he found himself coldly giving her reasons not to, even if his conscience bothered him. He always hated having her there, but somehow he hated it even more when she would give him a disappointed smile and go on her way.

He glanced at the calendar, and muttered a curse under his breath. It was Saturday, and he knew they had no missions for that day. _Let's see… what sort of excuse should I give today?_

Sasuke knew he couldn't use the I'm-going-training-so-I-can't-be-bothered excuse. They trained together more frequently, so she would only say that she could spar with him. He couldn't tell her he was going to meditate and he needed silence; he had told her that too many times. He couldn't say that he was going to clean his house since he told her that last week. (He _did_ end up cleaning his house. Somehow it didn't feel good to lie to someone as naïve as _her_.)

Sasuke ran his hand through his raven hair. There had to be a nice, possible sounding excuse lying around in his mind somewhere. He leaned back on his chair, hoping to get a stroke of genius soon.

Because at precisely 10:17, a certain pink-haired medic nin would come knocking at his door and try to give a little light in his life.

* * *

Haruno Sakura was excited. It was a lovely Saturday morning; the sky was blue, the dewdrops were glistening in the bright green grass, and there weren't any stupid D-rank missions or dangerous A-rank ones. In fact, they had no mission at all. And Saturdays with no missions only meant one thing. _I'm going to Sasuke-kun's today!_

She loved walking around the Uchiha part of town. It was falling apart, and there was a certain aura of negativity floating around it, but it was quiet, unlike the rest of Konoha. It helped her clear her mind a bit and think.

Besides, Sasuke lived there.

She combed her hair distractedly, trying to find a good reason to go to Sasuke's, since she often had to make these up. After all, Sasuke hated visits for no particular reason.

_I can't give him the "Let's train together" excuse, because we train everyday anyway. I can't say that I'm going to cook him something nice, since he can cook just as well. _She frowned at her reflection. _And he hates the real reason: I just want to spend some time with him._

_I wonder if he knows I don't believe _his_ reasons to keep me away._

She knew she was being foolish, going to the Uchiha Mansion when she already knew what she was going to get: Instant Rejection, and no need to add hot water, thank you. But she never gave up, because she knew, one of those days, she _was_ going to get closer to him. She didn't aim to become more than friends with him anymore; she had to aim for something more feasible. She wanted to be able to put a smile one day, but (she felt bad thinking about it) all that she seemed to do these days was to make him scowl at her.

Her thoughts were interrupted by her mother's call. "Sakura-chan! Time for breakfast!"

"Yes, okaasan!" she called back. Giving her hair one last pat, she hurried downstairs. She went into the dining room.

What greeted her eyes was vegetarian galore. For on the table, sorted in groups, were vegetables of all kinds, from golden corn to bright green cabbage. "Okaasan," she asked curiously, turning to her mother, "what's all this?"

"Well," Mrs. Haruno began, "your Otousan came home just this morning from your grandparents' farm in the outskirts of Konoha, because he was helping with the harvesting. They had a pretty good harvest this year. This," she added, waving her hand over the table, smiling sheepishly, "is the surplus."

"All _this_?" Sakura asked, gaping. "Ojiichan and Obaachan must have been working hard!"

"I don't know what we're going to do with all this, though," the Haruno patriarch said from the doorway. Sakura went to kiss him good morning.

"Why don't we give some of them to the neighbors?" Mrs. Haruno suggested.

"That's an idea," Mr. Haruno said. Sakura looked over to the harvest of that year. There were a lot to give away. Her parents began to talk about to whom they would give the produce to.

"…I don't know about the tomatoes, though," Mrs. Haruno said, fingering one. "There are a lot of them, and I don't think we can finish this all, and I don't know anyone who likes these things."

Tomatoes… what did that remind Sakura about?

_Sasuke-kun loves tomatoes!_ She thought suddenly. _They're his favorite food!_ She turned to her mother, who was starting to sort out the food into groups. "Okaasan, I have a friend who likes tomatoes," she said. "Can I take some to him?"

"All right," her mother agreed. "Take some of the good ones and put them in a basket."

Sakura nodded happily and rummaged for a container for the tomatoes. Here at last was a perfect excuse to go to Sasuke's home.

* * *

Sakura walked the streets with a small basket in her hands. There was a spring in her step, and there was a small smile on her face. She practically illuminated the streets of Konoha with her cheerful demeanor. 

She shifted the basket of tomatoes from one hand to another. She had taken about eight bright red tomatoes, the freshest she could find, from the pile. There were a lot more left, but she hadn't taken them all in case her mother _did_ find someone to give them to.

A few minutes more of walking brought her to the Uchiha Estate. By now, she knew her way around the streets. It was easy enough to find Sasuke's house, though; it was the biggest one around.

She rang the doorbell by the closed gate. It was never open unless Sasuke did so. Sakura waited patiently. She knew he had to be coming any minute now. She looked at her watch.

_Argh__ Ten-eighteen. I'm late.

* * *

_

Sasuke looked from his window and saw Sakura waiting patiently with a basket of something by the gate. He supposed the basket was filled with some kind of bribe for him. He _almost_ pitied her. She was so innocent and naïve sometimes… she was so blind to the fact that he felt nothing more than deep friendship with her.

Oh, yes, and maybe a little spark of attraction too. Just a little. And only, as he convinced himself fiercely, because she had a certain childlike charm about her.

(Why did he find himself not believing that, though?)

He shook the thought from his mind and watched from behind the curtain, then looked at his watch. 10:22, it read.

He had hit upon a foolproof plan: he was going to stay inside until she gave up and went home. It was almost too easy.

If only he could find something to do other than wait for her to go away.

Sasuke sat down under the window, resting his arms on his knees. He leaned against the wall, and thought about all the training he could've accomplished right now if Sakura just hadn't come. He looked at the window again, careful not to be seen. She was still there, staring hopefully at the wooden gate. He scowled and shot a glance at his wristwatch.

10:23. He sighed.

Time was slow, he decided. Way too slow.

* * *

Sakura was getting bored waiting all day. Or maybe not all day, just a couple of minutes. 

No, she was lying to herself. She gave a guilty glance at her watch. It read 12:17. It had been two hours since she had sat down by his gate.

It was hot, and she was hungry. _I suppose it's worth it, if Sasuke-kun comes. _She had come to the conclusion he had left home for a while, and she had promised herself she'd be there waiting for him till he came back, even if he took all day. She took a look at the tomatoes, smiling. _He loves his tomatoes, after all._

As she looked at the bright red things, she realized more than ever how hungry she was. _Should I take one?_ she asked herself.

She shrugged. _What he doesn't know won't hurt him. I _am _quite hungry. I'll only take one. _Slowly, she opened the plastic wrapping around the tomatoes.

Sasuke had finished his lunch, which he ate by the window. It was nothing more than a bowl of miso soup. How he wished he still had some tomatoes in his pantry, but sadly, he had finished his whole supply of it. He made mental note to go shopping the next day.

He decided to check on the "situation" again. Slowly, he raised himself on his knees and looked out of the window, making sure his face was not seen.

What he saw made his jaw drop – hungrily.

Sakura had taken out a large red tomato from the basket, and slowly, ever so slowly, she rotated it, as though deciding where to bite it. She gave a small half-smile, and she seemed to say, "Itadakimasu!" before she opened her mouth. As if in slow motion, Sasuke watched her sink her white teeth into the contrasting red skin of the tomato. Even from afar, he could see the juices of the tomato squirt out of the fruit. She pulled the tomato from her mouth and began to chew so slowly that the Uchiha heir wished she would hurry up. She closed her eyes and smiled as she chewed, as though she savored it. He watched her swallow the piece of tomato, wishing it was his throat it was sliding into. He licked his lips as Sakura ran her tongue across hers.

"Tasty," he murmured, watching her mouth form the exact same words.

Then he realized what he was doing. "Crap," he muttered, wanting to bang his head on the window.

His foolproof plan had become fooled.

* * *

The sun was setting, and Sakura was increasingly getting tempted to take another tomato from the basket and eat it. One tomato was just not enough for lunch. She looked at her watch and realized that she had been there for seven hours. _I can wait some more,_ she thought tiredly, smiling. 

_How can one person stay in the same place without moving much for seven _freaking_ hours? _Sasuke asked himself, meanwhile. _How can she like me this much?_

But then again, he had been sitting for seven hours under his window without moving much, either.

But Sakura had done the unforgivable. _The tomato… she _ate _the tomato… and I'm willing to bet that she still has more in that basket… _He gave another glance at the girl who was still sitting by his gate.

He hit upon a theory. _Maybe those _were_ meant for me. Why else would she come here with a basketful of them? She knows my favorite food is tomato. _He growled to himself._ I'm so stupid, why didn't I think of that before? And I'm supposed to be a ninja genius. _He cringed. _But going down there… and after rejecting her countless times… Urgh, it's too… humiliating._

Sasuke was at a loss. But then, Sakura seemed as though she would not leave until he showed his face. He took a deep breath. _Time to face the music._

He stood up and went to the gate. He swallowed, and opened the latch. Sakura turned, and she brightened up. "Oh, Sasuke-kun! You're here!"

He put a hand behind his neck, looking away, reddening. "I was asleep, so I didn't know you were here," he muttered. He spared her a glance, and he saw she was smiling shrewdly at him. He sighed. "You didn't believe a word of it."

"Not a word," she said cheerfully. "But that's okay. I know how you are."

Sasuke cleared his throat, his expression embarrassed. "What… what is that?"

Sakura blinked. "Oh, this?" she asked, raising the basket. She grinned. "They're tomatoes. My grandparents had some surplus from their harvest this year, and I thought I'd give some to you."

"You must have been desperate to get rid of it," Sasuke commented. "You waited a long time for me." Sakura giggled.

"Ah, no, I just wanted to see your expression when I gave them to you."

"Would you… would you like to come in?" he asked, turning redder. Sakura actually shook her head. He blinked in surprise.

"I don't want to bother you," she said, smiling. "Besides, it's dusk. My mother might get worried." She handed him the basket, and he took it. "Well," she said, "I'm going to go home now. Ja ne, Sasuke-kun."

"Th-thanks," he mumbled. She only gave him a soft smile and waved goodbye.

* * *

Sunday was another mission-less day, and to Sasuke, it meant more training. It was early, and after getting the last tomato from the basket Sakura gave him, he went out, resolving to train a little harder to make up for the time wasted yesterday. He scowled at his stupidity. He _should've_ gone to meet Sakura earlier. 

He bit into the tomato, regretting the fact he ate them too quickly. They were too good. They were, in fact, better than any he had tasted these past few days. He supposed it was because it had been a while since he last bit into one (i.e. three days). And probably because the tomatoes came straight from farm. Whatever it was, they certainly seemed juicier and sweeter than usual.

Maybe it was also that little fact that it was Sakura who gave him the whole batch.

He shook his head so hard he got spots floating lazily in front of his eyes when he stopped. _Nope. NOT possible._

He pushed the last piece into his mouth, he gathered his choice of weapons and went out of the door. He felt like staying home and practicing in the courtyard.

_Ding dong!_

His doorbell rang cheerfully. He muttered a few profanities Naruto would have been proud of. Who could be calling on a Sunday? Didn't they have better things to do than to bother him? Frowning deeply, he went to open the gate. Without even looking at the person, he said, hoping he sounded as hostile as he felt, "What do you wa-"

He stopped abruptly. For there, in front of him, was the wrong person to be hostile to.

"Sakura?" he asked, his expression turning from mutinous to puzzled. "What are you doing here? Weren't you here yesterday?"

The green-eyed chuunin smiled sheepishly and held a basket in front of her. "There's _still_ surplus from the farm," she said. "We're not big fans of tomatoes, so I thought I'd bring some more to you."

Sasuke eyed the basket, the hunger in his eyes sparking up suddenly. "That's for me?"

Sakura shrugged. "If you want them."

"Thanks," he said a little too quickly, hoping he didn't appear too eager as he took the basket from her hands. She smiled cheerfully.

"I guess I'll be on my way," she said. "Ja ne, Sasuke-kun." She started to walk away.

_Yeah, just go and leave me with my tomatoes. Come on, walk a little faster. It's not like I'm going to invite you in or something. Come on, walk away faster before I get tempted again-_

"Sakura," he called, his inner ramblings contradicted. She turned, her eyebrows raised. He screwed up his mouth in embarrassment. "Would – would you like to come in?"

"No, really," Sakura said bracingly. "I'll be on my way."

"I have ohagi," Sasuke said lamely, wondering why the hell he was so keen to get Sakura in his house. She brightened up.

"Well, as long as you don't mind…"

"I don't," Sasuke said curtly. "Now come on in before I change my mind."

_Boy,_ Sakura thought. _Sasuke-kun sure has a way of inviting people in._

She entered the dwelling and followed Sasuke to the kitchen. She always liked it in the mansion; it was so silent, and so _clean,_ as though he hardly used it but cleaned it up anyway. She set the basket on the kitchen table as Sasuke rummaged in the fridge for the box of ohagi.

"Why do you have ohagi?" Sakura asked as Sasuke took out a couple of glasses. He set a pitcher of water on the table for them. "I know for a fact you hate sweets."

"Some girl gave them to me the other day," he replied, not looking at her as he poured them some water. He took one of the tomatoes from the basket, muttered "Itadakimasu," and bit into it. As he chewed, he said, "I don't know why I kept them."

Sakura nodded at this and took a piece of ohagi from the box. "Itadakimasu!" she exclaimed before biting into the dark-colored sweet.

"How does it taste?" Sasuke asked. _Why am I so interested, anyway?_

"Good," Sakura replied cheerfully. "A bit stale, but still good."

"Oh."

They ate in silence. After a while, Sakura spoke up. "So, what are you planning to do today, Sasuke-kun? Training, I suppose?"

"Aa."

"Do you want to go out somewhere?" Sakura asked. "It's not good to stay holed up in the house all day. Or maybe I can stay here and cook you some lunch…?"

"No," Sasuke replied unnecessarily loudly. "Thanks, but no."

"That's too bad," Sakura murmured, sounding disappointed. A pause, and then, "Ne, Sasuke-kun, we still have another basket of tomatoes at home. Do you want me to bring some more tomorrow? We're training with Kakashi-sensei tomorrow, do you remember?"

He shrugged. "Sure." Sakura smiled happily.

"Great!" She bit into her third piece of ohagi. "This is some good ohagi. Do you want some?"

"No thanks."

As Sakura ate, she watched Sasuke sink his teeth into the juicy tomato. It was curious to watch the Uchiha heir eating. He never said much. He never did anything mundane, not in her presence. Normalcy for him was to train and train. But the way he reacted with the tomatoes each time was… amusing in their own way. She smiled, her eyes crinkling.

This was probably why she was still in love with him. She knew her love would never be requited, but for the moment she could hardly care less.

Sasuke would never admit it, but he was actually enjoying just sitting there with Sakura, eating. She didn't even talk much. There was something… comforting about her presence.

He watched her bite into the ohagi daintily, nibbling on the sweet like a mouse. It was almost cute, in a way. Except that the word _cute_ wasn't in Uchiha Sasuke's vocabulary.

Finally, Sakura stood up. "Maa, I'm full," she said, patting her stomach. "Thanks for having me, Sasuke-kun. I think I'll go home now."

"Eat and run?" he asked, smirking. Sakura blushed and stuck out her tongue sheepishly.

"Something like that," she replied. "That was very good ohagi. Thanks for it."

"Aa," he said, nodding as he walked her to the door. She gave him a wave and went through the gate, setting off.

_She's bringing me tomatoes tomorrow. _Sasuke felt pleased.

_But there's no way I'm going to bring her ohagi.

* * *

_

Sakura skipped to the bridge, holding in her hand the last basket of tomatoes from home. _I wonder if Sasuke-kun has finished the basket from yesterday. _She giggled to herself. _If he has, then I think he has a big appetite for tomatoes._

_It's just too bad this is the last basket from home. Now I won't have an excuse to go to his house anymore. _She shrugged to herself. _Oh, well, it was fun while it lasted._

She slowed down to a walk. She could already see Sasuke at the bridge, brooding, as usual. _If brooding gave him a penny for every minute he wouldn't need his inheritance to survive, _she thought amusedly. There was something different about his facial expression, though; from afar, he looked… _embarrassed_?

Her eyebrows knit together. He was standing, almost casually, but now she could see he was holding something. What was it?

"Sasuke-kun!" she called. He jumped (_Odd, _Sakura thought, _he never jumps in surprise_) and raised an eyebrow coolly at her. She smiled and held out the basket. "Well, like I promised, the rest of the tomatoes from home."

"Hn."

Her eyes scanned the perimeter. "Do you want to sit on that bench over there and eat? I don't think Kakashi-sensei or Naruto would be coming soon."

He shrugged. "Fine." They walked together to the nearest bench, Sakura peering at his hands furtively.

"What's that in the box, Sasuke-kun?" she asked. At the question, the boy addressed reddened almost unnoticeably.

Sakura found it obvious he was flustered, though. "Well, it's…" He swallowed and tried again. "It's… well, something… that I'm supposed to… well, you know… it's the… uh… you know what I mean…"

She knew she must have looked very puzzled. "I don't, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke sighed and held the box out. "Ohagi," he said simply, getting over the embarrassment quickly.

"Oh!" Sakura exclaimed in surprise. She grinned. "This… this is a wonderful surprise, Sasuke-kun! Thank you!" They sat together on the bench. She opened the box and spied the dark-colored sweets inside. "Ooh, they look yummy."

Sasuke watched her reaction. It was exactly as he had expected. Somehow, he thought, if Sakura hadn't reacted that way, he knew he would've been quite disappointed. He ran his fingers through his raven hair, thinking, _Mission__ accomplished._

"Where'd you get them, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked from beside him. "They taste fresh, so you must have bought them just now, right?"

Sasuke opened the wrapping around the tomatoes and took out one, examining it. "I went grocery shopping this morning."

"Oh." She smiled. "Thanks for going through the trouble of getting me ohagi."

"It's only to repay you for the tomatoes, don't get me wrong." He knew if he told her that he bought the ohagi especially for her, she would be a bit clingier.

Sakura laughed. "Sure, sure, Sasuke-kun."

They say there in silence, eating. It was a very simple event, but the fact that Sasuke looked as though he was enjoying himself made Sakura very happy.

It was a pity they couldn't do that the next day, though.

* * *

Sakura felt disappointed. She had nothing to take to Sasuke that day. All the tomatoes were gone (_Presumably to his stomach, _she thought) and so was the rest of the produce. It felt quite unacceptable.

She walked slowly to the bridge where they were supposed to meet. She could see him staring over the water. His dark hair framed his handsome face, and as the wind blew, Sakura couldn't help but feel her heart leap. Sometimes she thought that maybe as a girl Sasuke would still look good. She wondered vaguely if he could do Naruto's infamous Sexy no Jutsu.

Sasuke looked at her, but she was surprised that he didn't find it odd she didn't have her basket of tomatoes for her. "Good morning, Sasuke-kun," she greeted, as was her custom. She looked apologetic, not meeting his eye. "Uh… I'm sorry, but we've got no more tomatoes left. I… gave them all to you… so I can't give you any more. I'm really sorry, Sasuke-kun, I knew you liked them somehow-"

"Stop babbling," he muttered, smirking. "You're talking nonsense."

"But-"

"They're just tomatoes," Sasuke interrupted. "I was getting sick of them anyway. Eight tomatoes a day isn't too good for anyone."

Now this threw Sakura off course. "Wha…_at_?" It was odd that _any_ person would get sick of their favorite food.

Sasuke shook his head. "Never mind." He handed her a box, not bothering to glance at her, although Sakura imagined there was a faint blush on his cheek. "Ohagi. Hope you aren't sick of _them_ yet."

"Thank you, Sasuke-kun!" she exclaimed happily, taking the box. She opened the lid and began eating. Sasuke eyed her, mildly entertained. There was that childlike look on her again. Then she looked up, frowning in consternation.

"Why, though?"

He could feel his cheeks heating up. Why, though? Even he himself wasn't sure. All he knew was that Sakura was probably going to be happy if he gave her some of her favorite food. "To make you happy," Sasuke replied. "You liked the ohagi yesterday and the other day…"

"To make me happy?" Sakura echoed, looking confused. "But… Sasuke-kun, well… it's not you. Why do you want to make me happy?"

He glared at her as though he thought it was a stupid question. She blushed in embarrassment. "Because. You're my teammate. You take a lot of trouble." _From me, _his conscience wanted to add, but he was too proud to do so. "You deserve to be treated nice sometimes."

Sakura got his meaning, whether he wanted her to or not. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun," she said softly. "I don't see you treating Naruto like this, though."

"Duh, he's not a girl," Sasuke said without thinking. Sakura blinked up at him, then a smile slowly crept up her features as his face screwed up in embarrassment. "I mean… that is… What I mean is that-"

"So you only do this to girls, now do you?" Sakura said slyly, her smile innocent, although the glint in her eyes not at all.

"O-of course not," Sasuke stammered. "I mean, you're the only girl I know, so-"

"Ah," Sakura said teasingly, her eyebrows raised in mock surprise, loving the way Sasuke was getting more and more flustered.

"It's not _that_," Sasuke tried to amend. "Really, Sakura-"

Sakura's eyes softened and she shrugged. "Whatever you say, Sasuke-kun." Sasuke didn't know whether to feel relieved or embarrassed. She grinned and picked out a piece of ohagi, biting into it but not letting her eyes leave Sasuke. "But you know what, Sasuke-kun?" she said after a while (and a third ohagi).

"What?"

She closed the box. "I think I'm sick of ohagi too."

Sasuke smirked. "Hn." He put his hands into his pockets casually. "So do you think we should settle for ramen instead?"

Sakura gave him a naughty smile. "As long as it's your treat."

"Is it a date, then?" Sasuke asked, smirking and offering his hand. Sakura looked from his face to his outstretched hand, pleasantly surprised.

"What about training?" Sakura asked, just to make sure he wasn't having second thoughts.

He took her hand when she didn't take his. "Training," he said, "can wait. So can Kakashi and Naruto."

"Then, as long as it's okay with you, it's a date," Sakura said, her eyes shining and wiggling her fingers in Sasuke's grasp. They walked together to the Ichiraku hand in hand, thoughts about food filling their mind.

Maybe the next time they did this, food would be little involved, with something _else_ taking its place in their minds.

It should come to no surprise why Kakashi gave them extra hard training the next day.

* * *

The easiest way to a boy's heart is through his stomach. Perhaps this could be true to girls as well.

* * *

**AN:** How'd you guys like it? Was it fun? Did it make you hungry? Hee…

Did you get the last part? Drum roll please!

…They skipped training completely.

Can't reply anymore to people... takes too long and I'm doing this in a hurry... but I have to say no one reviewed much...

To all who reviewed, you get a Green Jumpsuit™ courtesy of Rock Lee and Gai-sensei! – does nice guy pose –

Well, I'll see you all next time! Ja matte ne!


	9. Haircut: Pink and Blue Preferences

**AN:** The omake's going to be a mini-series. The title, "Sore Ga AI Deshou!" means "That's LOVE!" It's actually a title of a song, the opening song for Full Metal Panic: Fumoffu. It's love as seen by the kids of our favorite couples. I'll be using the names, appearances, and personalities of the kids I used in my other fic, Little Uchiha Brats. Think of it as a spinoff.

This omake might have other pairings as a focus (wow, a first for me!) but as a tribute to all you SasuSaku fans out there, the first one, of course, is SasuSaku.

* * *

**Sore Ga AI Deshou! - Uchiha Seiji

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: **I had a dream once… I was a multi-billionaire… then I woke up and realized I was still poor.

* * *

Uchiha Seiji felt excitement in his veins. In just a few months, or so Okaasama had promised, he would be a big brother. Not only that, but he would have _two_ baby siblings, though whether they'd be boys or girls his Okaasama wouldn't say.

His Okaasama had gotten as big as a house. She was certainly acting weird; she would cry because she couldn't get her favorite chocolate, and she would laugh at Otousama for accidentally prinking himself with senbon when normally she would only giggle and heal him with her great Chiyute no Jutsu.

Seiji prided himself at being a keen observer (even if he didn't really know the word for it yet). His Otousama, who he noticed was short-tempered and easily irritated, might have snapped at her, like he would with Naruto-ojiisama, but he had only sighed greatly. Seiji wondered, with all his childish presumptions, how he could stay calm and secretly applauded his great shinobi of a father.

Even at an early age he knew patience did _not _run in the family.

One day, Otousama would snap. He watched out for this day and resolved to protect his twin siblings from that horrible, horrible sight (even if they couldn't really see it yet). Oh, yes, tears and soup would flow.

As his parents spent a dull, Sunday afternoon talking about things he hardly knew or cared about, he was concentrated on making a little dirt fortress, pretending it was Konoha, being defended by leaf shinobi. (Literally, though, since his "shinobi" were made of leaves.)

_Klink._ That little sound made Seiji turn to look where his parents were sitting, interrupting his spirited imitation of a battle with missing nin. Okaasama had her fan (an Uchiha fan, of course) in one hand, fanning herself with it, and in the other, a small bag. When she shifted it, that nice _klink_ sound rang in his ears again. Otousama had a funny look on his face, something Seiji knew would be on his face only when Naruto-ojiisama would try to get them to taste his cooking.

"You want me to do _what_?" the raven-haired patriarch asked, his face rather screwed up. Seiji watched the proceedings as his pink-haired Okaasama hid her laugh behind her fan. Ooh, this might be the one he had been looking for.

"Come on, I can't do it myself, Sasuke-kun," she said, a genuinely pleading look on her face. "I'm getting too big, and I can't reach my toes. There are two little ones in here, after all." She patted her large abdomen for emphasis.

Otousama's handsome face (not unlike his own, Seiji decided, except for his green eyes) took on a long-suffering expression. "If you say so, Sakura."

"Thanks, Sasuke-kun," his wife replied. "I owe you big time."

"Hn." There was that one-worded reply of Otousama's again. Seiji used it more often these days; it saved the trouble of arguing with Uzumaki Ayane (ooh, that blonde was annoying), while his Okaasama would laugh and say it reminded her of something when she was younger. (Although Seiji could never imagine her any younger looking than she was now. Okaasama had always been Okaasama, after all.)

She handed Otousama the bag, and with a quick _zip,_ he opened it. Seiji craned his neck to better see the thing that made that _klink_ sound. Maybe it was a new toy, or a nice shuriken that Otousama might lend to him one of these days. Once he saw what it really was, however, his face fell.

His Otousama opened the bottle of nail polish, and that weird smell that made his head spin wafted out from it. He was glad he was situated a bit farther. How could his Otousama take that smell? And wasn't nail polish for girls?

He watched, half-interested, half-chagrined, as his beloved Otousama, the great ANBU captain Uchiha Sasuke of the Mangekyou Sharingan, favored by the Rokudaime Hokage himself, bent down and began painting his Okaasama's toenails.

Evil, evil, evil. His beloved Okaasama, the great ANBU head medic Uchiha Sakura of the Healing Hands, _also _favored by the loud Hokage himself, was pure evil for making Otousama do woman's work. She would pay with the spillage of miso soup and soap water later. His green eyes wandered over to his father, expecting him to be scowling quite scarily.

He didn't expect, however, to see Otousama with that half-smile on his face, actually looking peaceful and content, albeit concentrated with the task at hand.

It was bonanza weird. Shouldn't Otousama be cringing because of the indignity of it all, if not for the smell of nail polish? What was in this situation that actually made him smile?

Seiji looked into his Okaasama's face, and understood.

She was also smiling peacefully.

_When Okaasama can't reach her toes and can't paint her nails, and Otousama does it for her… sore ga ai deshou.

* * *

_

**AN: **Here's my new ficcie!

This takes place after that incident in the Forest of Death with Orochimaru, just after the whole curse seal fiasco. Then the second part is after the Third's death. The third is a future fic.

* * *

**Marshmallow 9:**

**Haircut: Preferences of Pink and Blue

* * *

**

As Sakura sat on a rock about a few meters from him, cleaning the fish Naruto had caught, Sasuke couldn't help but cringe as he looked up time and time again, Sakura's recently shortened hair catching his eyes. The frayed pink hair was distracting him, like an annoying fly that was perched on his nose, swatted away but persistently coming back.

The coral pink locks, as it seemed to the Uchiha heir, were askew, and looked as though it had not been cut properly. The lack of the usual organization of his teammate's hair bothered him like no other, except maybe Naruto's obnoxious voice.

He knew why her hair was cut off, of course. He had woken up from his cursed state to find her watching him worriedly, her once long hair haphazardly cut across, part of it longer than the rest. From what he had gathered (and he _was_ a ninja genius) she had cut her own hair to save him and Naruto from Sound nins.

This had puzzled him. Usually, it was he or the other male of their team who did the saving. He had to admit (to himself, that is, never out loud), however, that the action was unselfish and brave of her. He knew (with the limited knowledge he had of the females of his species) that girls spent much time making their hair just right. But why she had cut it with kunai so carelessly, why she was so unselfish, he didn't know.

He had seen the Yamanaka girl call to Sakura to trim her hair and even it out, after her emergency haircut to get out of the enemy's clutches. Out of the corner of his eye, he had watched the blonde trim the unique hair that Sakura possessed.

He vaguely remembered them being fierce rivals when they were at the Academy. For what, he really didn't know or care, but it was oddly fascinating to try to fathom why Yamanaka Ino had offered to even out her hair.

They had spoken in low, scathing voices, and all he had really done was stare at his hands, wondering how the hell he had woken up with black marks all over his skin, power overflowing in his body. He vaguely recalled being possessed by some kind of lusty desire to kill the ones who had caused her to cut her own pink locks off.

Which brought him back to the present, a day since then. It was the third day since they started in the forest, and he wondered why the annoyance about her hair spiked up only just then. In fact, he was stumped as to _why_ it had come up in the first place. Maybe it was because he wanted to change the subject of the overflowing power in his mind for a while. Or it was probably because he needed to distract himself from the stinging pain of the curse mark on his neck.

Whatever the reason was, it certainly wasn't because she was sitting so innocently a few meters from him, concentrated, for once, not one him, but on the task at hand.

It most certainly wasn't because she actually caught his attention in a way that no other person could. Anyone who dared to suggest that would find himself with kunai stuck into several places in his body.

Her hair was distracting, however. Her hair, where it should've been cut straight across, formed an M. It wasn't right, not for a girl. He was straight, thanks very much, but even _he_ felt order was the key to everything. Even haircuts.

He had to do something, or he wasn't going to get any rest. That M-shaped haircut just didn't suit Sakura at all.

Of course, it wasn't like he _cared_ how she looked or anything. She could have her hair shaven off for all he cared.

_It's a teammate thing, _he though irritably, quelling any ideas some sick divine audience might have about his feelings towards his once-long haired teammate.

_A teammate thing._ _Just that, nothing else._

_But do teammates really look out for each other's hair?

* * *

_

Sakura bent over on the rock where she was cleaning the carp Naruto had caught about a few minutes ago. Sweat trickled down her larger-than-normal forehead, and she hastily wiped it with the back of her hand. A cool breeze blew past her, and she was thankful, for once, her hair had become shorter.

Otherwise, she hated it. She hated the way it was frayed along the bangs that framed her heart-shaped face. She loathed the way it felt wrong on her head. It made her look much too young, she decided. After catching a glimpse of her reflection in the water of the river a short distance from her, she had come to a conclusion she would never look in another mirror until she grew her hair long again.

Oh, everything her hasty haircut stood for was good, she would give it that. It symbolized her blooming at last into an honourable kunoichi, ready to sacrifice for her teammates. It symbolized her being able to make sacrifices, big and small, for the people who mattered. It stood for the fact that she wasn't a silly little girl who put her looks above everything else.

She was a female. Warrior. _Kunoichi_.

But why the hell couldn't she bear to look at her reflection anymore?

She wasn't forehead girl for nothing. She wasn't the smartest girl in her age group for anything. Being what she was, she traced from where her desire to pull on her hair, to force it to grow longer, came from.

It hit her like a brick from the golden buildings of Heaven as she glanced at the raven-haired Uchiha genius, currently staring in the opposite direction. Ah. Of course.

_Sasuke-kun supposedly likes girls with long hair, _she thought, depressed, fingering her short hair. She had been growing her hair long specifically for that purpose. And the fact that she would have no chance to gain his attention (or so it seemed) sent her into waves of depression and nausea in between.

She knew she wasn't supposed to care for her looks so much, but not being able to catch dear Sasuke-kun's eye felt rather disappointing.

Sasuke was a guy. Guys liked women who looked mature, or so it seemed. She felt much more like a grown woman with long hair. All the clues seemed to point to one conclusion: there was no way in heaven or hell that any guy, let alone the god-like Sasuke-kun, was going to give her a second glance. She thought of Naruto's scream after he'd seen her with short hair, and flinched. Even her (supposedly) number one fan was aghast with her so-called image change.

_Oh, hell's bells,… I'm the ugliest creature in the world. Who the hell has _pink _hair? _Short _pink hair, for that matter! Who? Curse my genes and bad luck._

**_Shannaro! _**Inner-Sakura shrieked, clutching her (short) hair. **_I'm never going to get Sasuke-kun now! Curse you Sound bastards! _**Subconsciously, she drove the kunai she was using into the fish's eye, spurting its blood on the rock.

"Geez, don't mutilate the fish," a bored voice said behind her. She whipped around.

"Ah!" she exclaimed. "Sasuke-kun!" She noticed a slightly chagrined expression on his handsome face and cocked her head to the side curiously. "What's up?" she asked concernedly.

He put his hands in his pockets, and looked away, trying not meet her eye, the way he did when he was nervous. _Wait a second. He's nervous? _

"Come here," he said. Sakura blinked, but complied. When she was in front of him, he continued, "Sit down."

"What for?" she asked as she squatted in front of him. He went around her.

"Your hair's uneven," he said expressionlessly from behind. "I'm going to even it out."

"O-oh!" she cried, surprised. She turned to Sasuke, who had already knelt in front of her hair. "Y-you don't have to, really," she said hastily, reddening in embarrassment. "I'll –I'll do it myself." She fumbled for a kunai on her thigh holster, but his hand on her wrist prevented her from getting one.

"You idiot," he said, pretending he didn't see that blush on her cheeks. (They both knew for a fact that redheads blushed easily.) "How the hell are you going to do that without a mirror? Unless you can't be a mile away from one and have one in your pouch."

"It's – it's not that," Sakura said, shifting uncomfortably. "It's just that –well, you're a guy…"

"So?"

"And, um… you might cut it too short and stuff…" she mumbled, suddenly interested at the way her toenails curved.

"So in other words," Sasuke began callously, "you don't trust me."

"It's not that!" Sakura exclaimed, growing pinker each second. "It's just that, well…"

"What?"

"I…" Sakura struggled for the right words.

Sasuke put his hands on her shoulders and shifted her so that her hair was facing him. "So if you have no objections, I'll start." He removed her hitai-ate and combed out her hair with his fingers.

"Yes," she said meekly, accepting the offer (which seemed more of a command, now that she stopped to think.) She felt mildly mortified with the fact that a _straight _boy was going to cut her hair, her beloved Sasuke at that. It didn't feel _socially_ right, but…

…in the depths of her heart, it all fitted perfectly.

**_SHANNARO!_** Inner-Sakura shrieked. **_Love wins! Yeah!_**

Sasuke, meanwhile, held a kunai in one hand, and Sakura's hair in the other. He had never given much thought about how exactly a girl's hair, particularly this girl's, would feel in his hands. But now that it came to this, it suddenly felt fascinating. It was odd that her hair would feel like satin against his rough hands. He ran his fingers through them absently, savoring the feel of the soft locks in between his digits.

Suddenly, he became more aware of the fact that Sakura's hair had a certain luster to it. It shone in the afternoon, light reflecting on it, a testament that her pink tresses were, in fact, glossy.

There was also the detail that, as he breathed a little shallower than normal, that every whiff he took smelled like flowers. He realized now that it was her shampoo he was breathing in. He knew it was at least three days since she last washed her hair, and he was puzzled why it still smelled so-

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura's bell-like voice asked, interrupting his musings. "Why are you touching my hair like that?"

Sasuke withdrew his hand quickly as though he had scalded his skin. _Damn. I can't get carried away. _He was only glad that the freaking idiot wasn't there to barrage him with yells of "Don't touch _my_ Sakura-chan, _teme_! I'm the _only _one who can touch her hair!" (But it would only result to Naruto getting decked by the spunky, hot-tempered female of their team. Still, Sasuke felt it would be better without that.)

"It's nothing," he said in his usual stone-cold tone.

"Sure, Sasuke-kun…" Sakura said, her voice trailing off uncertainly.

"Don't mind me," Sasuke said shortly, starting to shear her hair where it was uneven. He moved the kunai carefully around the uneven part, slowly but surely. He had learnt this basic skill along with learning to live alone. The M-shape was disappearing, and the hair was starting to become even. Sasuke began to wonder if the Yamanaka femme had left the M-shape on purpose to spite the only girl he'd ever acknowledged.

Sakura began to relax and accept the fact that Sasuke was – face it - cutting her hair. Now that she came to think about it, it was actually kind of fun, like a bonding thing (**_Oh, shoot me,_** Inner Sakura muttered) for the both of them.

Usually, it was either her and Naruto, or him and Sasuke, but almost never her and Sasuke. Now that they were spending time away from Naruto, at least until he came back with lunch, then she might as well enjoy the moment. She only prayed the blond and loud self-proclaimed Hokage-to-be would not come until later. Much, _much _later.

It was a simple haircut, but Sakura felt it meant the world to her. After the fiasco the couple of days before, and the day before that, a moment with no worries was all she needed.

It didn't mean her curiosity and constant chatter would die away, however.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked. When he didn't answer, she pressed, "Can I ask you something?"

Sasuke sighed exasperatedly. "Shoot," he muttered.

"Do you really like girls with long hair?" Sakura ventured.

Sasuke snorted in amusement. "Heh. _No._"

The girl's green eyes widened. "Really? But I thought – I'd heard-"

"-rumors that have no factual basis," Sasuke finished for her, direct and to the point.

"They said you liked girls with long hair," Sakura probed, as he moved to her left side to trim the hair around her face.

"I don't," Sasuke said as-a-matter-of-factly. "Long hair is impractical."

"How so?"

It easily gathers dirt, and is a hindrance to movement. Not only that, but I'm betting it's very hard to maintain."

"That _is _true." She couldn't move her head, but she met his obsidian orbs with her green ones. "So you like girls with short hair, then?"

He glared at her. "Stop asking personal questions, Sakura," he said sternly. She grinned.

"Aw, come on, you can tell me," she persuaded, pushing her lower lip forward to a pout. He sighed tiredly.

"If it'll make you shut up," Sasuke muttered. "Let's just say some girls look better with short hair, some with long hair."

"But you have to take a solid opinion somewhere," Sakura insisted.

"Let's put it this way," Sasuke said as he shifted to cut her hair on the right side. "Some girls just look plain pretty with long _or_ short hair."

Sakura paused for a moment. Then she murmured, "Was I all right with long hair?"

"You looked fine," Sasuke said dismissively, shrugging, though Sakura imagined a blush on his pale cheeks. She smiled.

"But how do you like hair, really?"

He rolled his dark eyes at her, still concentrated on her tresses. "I don't have time to think of my hair."

"I didn't mean _your _hair," Sakura pointed out. "I meant girls' hair. How short, or how long, exactly? Boy-cut short? Shoulder-length short?"

Naruto came in sight as Sasuke brushed off the excess hair off from her shoulders. Sasuke picked up his kunai and stood up, and Sakura looked at him uncertainly. "Well?" she asked.

He didn't look at her as Naruto went nearer to them, shouting their names. Sasuke didn't meet her eye deliberately. "_That_ short," he muttered, jerking his thumb towards her and walking away to help Naruto with the fish.

This _short?_ She asked herself, touching her now even hair.

Then, after a few seconds of contemplation, she realized what he had just said.

Her hand flew to her mouth as a blush spread prettily across her cheeks. "I might grow to love this haircut after all…" she murmured to herself.

Two secret smiles graced the afternoon that day.

* * *

It was a few days after the final Chuunin Exams, and it wasn't Sasuke's day at all.

It was a warm afternoon, the way it was when it would rain the next day. The atmosphere was humid, and he felt hot and bothered, his surroundings making him feel he was in an oven. His insides still hurt from the battle with Gaara the day before. His long hair, which he had grown out while training with Kakashi, stuck to his chin and neck, irritating the heck out of him.

But what was really bothering him was the emotional aspect of it all. The Sandaime Hokage was dead, and the entire Fire Country mourned. Everything was gloomy, while the people tended to the injured and repaired destroyed facilities.

And there was the fact that Naruto – _the_ Naruto who had been last in graduation – had become better, better than he could have imagined. For that, Sasuke struggled to cope with the fact that he was the one who actually done something to defeat Gaara and rescue Sakura.

Sasuke cursed as he flicked his sweaty hair from his neck. He had to admit – the freaking idiot was catching up, and quickly too. To be able to summon the boss of all frogs, Gamabunta, was a big feat, especially for a genin. And that ingenious move of using the Pain of a Thousand Years technique (at this the Uchiha prodigy grimaced) to stick an explosive note attached to a kunai under the Ichibi's tail was something only a prankster like Naruto could pull off.

Sakura, he regretted to say, reversed their roles, making him feel more ashamed than ever. The fact that she had jumped in between him and a raging Gaara with only a kunai at hand increased his respect for her. She had grown in not in strength, but in emotional maturity. She was now more of a kunoichi than when the first started out as genin.

His stomach twisted at the fact he wasn't able to save her in return when she had been slammed against the tree, trapped in Gaara's sand. He could hardly deny that she meant more to him than just a teammate. She was a friend.

Of course, she was only that, nothing else. He could never think of her as more than a friend. Whoever dared to suggest such a thing would find himself mangled beyond recognition. Even Naruto.

Right?

Sasuke growled as a part of him dared to suggest that felt something more for the pink-haired kunoichi. No, revenge and being was his whole life. He had no time for useless bonds like that.

**_Ah, but having no time doesn't mean you don't _really _want it._**

_Shut up! _he growled at his inner consciousness. He was truly denial royalty.

_**Just where is she, anyway?**_

_Shut up about her!

* * *

_

The green eyed kunoichi was actually bent upon a mission, a serious one, much more serious than the mission she had from Kakashi: to recover after being suffocated by the Sabaku Sousou. It was a personal mission… it was payback.

A pair of scissors seemed out of place in Sakura's weapon pouch as its owner walked to a certain ghost town.

The village was actually very quiet, due to the fact that everyone was getting over some loss, material or otherwise, even human. Everyone had lost someone dear, or else, losing them. The loss felt by everyone, of course, was the dear Sandaime Hokage.

Sakura's cheeks flushed in anger at the snake bastard who had not only hurt Sasuke, but had killed the Hokage. She had heard the adults moaning about how Konoha would be vulnerable now that the he was dead. He who had been a leader and a father to all of them was gone. Everyone looked miserable, but Sakura knew once the funerals were over they would work tirelessly to restore the village. Everywhere she looked today she found people already starting to work to mend things. It would continue to be a work day for all the villagers, but tomorrow would be a day of mourning.

Which brought her back to her mission. A wicked little glint in her eye would probably tell anyone that Inner Sakura was laughing like a demented hag, but no one looked twice, and no one really knew Inner Sakura anyway, with the exception of Ino, but she never really got to know what Sakura named the inner being inside her.

She marched with all bravado into the ghost town that was the Uchiha Manor. It was easy to locate the place she was headed to, it was the largest house, and the only one that actually looked inhabited. The twelve year-old walked straight, took some right and left turns, until she found herself in front of the house of the boy she loved. She smiled a little to herself. This was going to be fun.

She knocked on the door, feeling a little nervous. She suddenly felt a bit weird being here, but then again, it was payback time. She heard footsteps, and soon found herself looking into the face of one irritated looking Uchiha Sasuke.

"What do you want?" he asked brusquely. That was Sasuke for you – blunt and straight to the point.

"Hi, Sasuke-kun," she said in that lilting voice of hers. "I was wondering… can I come in?"

He frowned at her. "What for?"

"Well," Sakura began, wondering how to word her explanation, "um, there's something I need to tell you. Actually, something I need to give to you."

"Give it to me right here then," Sasuke replied, scowling deeper as humanely possible.

"That would be a bit hard, you know…" Sakura said, reaching around to open her pouch. She slid the pair of scissors out. "…as cutting your hair right here would be kinda awkward," she continued, grinning. She snapped the scissors open and close rather ominously as Sasuke put her words together.

When it finally came to him, he eyed the pair of scissors apprehensively. "No, Sakura, you are _not_ giving me a haircut," he said as vehemently as possible.

Sakura's eager face fell. "But it's gotten so long and unruly-"

"No."

"But it'll-"

"**_No._**"

"Aww, Sasuke-kun! I-need-to-repay-you-for-cutting-my-hair-for-me-_when-we-were-in-the-Forest-of-Death_!" She said this sentence quickly so that he had no time to interrupt her.

"You don't need to repay me," Sasuke replied, looking a bit bewildered.

"But I _want_ to," Sakura said, pouting pleadingly.

"No"

"_Yes._"

"**_No._**"

"**_Yes!_**"

"Would it get you to shut up?" he asked exasperatedly. She looked surprised, but in a second a bright smile was on her face once more, and she nodded quickly to show she was interested. Sasuke opened his mouth to say "Forget it."

* * *

He was still wondering how Sakura managed to change his mind at the last nanosecond as he sat in front of her. They were in front of his bathroom mirror. She had been cutting his hair for the past few minutes, and to his relief, after checking for the umpteenth time, she was almost through. Or at least he wanted to believe so.

Eye-catch! one: a reflection of a short, green-eyed, pink-haired girl, her tongue was stuck out in concentration, her rather large forehead with beads of sweat, looking determined to cut through the raven locks.

Eye-catch! two: a mirror image of a slightly tall, onyx-orbed, raven-haired boy, his expression a nice little mixture of disbelief, anger, chagrin, and – oh, was that _contentment_?

_ARGH!_ Sasuke felt irritated at himself as Sakura cut his hair, humming a tune. Now that their roles were reversed _again_, he felt a little hot under the collar, and it wasn't just the summer heat. As Sakura skimmed his hair, combing out some knots with her soft fingers, he had the sudden urge to grab her hand and… well, after that, he hadn't really known what to do. Against his will he admitted that her digits felt good against his scalp. He blushed even deeper.

Sakura, on the other hand, was greatly enjoying herself. _Who knew Sasuke-kun's hair would feel this nice? _she thought happily, snipping the too-long locks here and there. _It's enjoyable, really. _She ran her fingers through his hair for the umpteenth time, wondering if it was Sasuke's shampoo that provided for its silky smoothness.

But it was too quiet, especially for the pink-haired chatterbox. She hated awkward silences and had to start talking. "So, Sasuke-kun," she began cheerfully. "What did you think of the Chuunin Exams?"

Sasuke bristled. "Gee, Sakura, I really wouldn't know. Maybe it's because _I wasn't there when it started?_"

Sakura blushed in embarrassment. "O-oh! You never got to watch any of it?" Sasuke snorted, and she took that for a yes. "Sorry," she mumbled. "But you should've seen it though," she added enthusiastically. "Shikamaru was so cool, and I mean cool-headed, but he forfeited, it was too bad. And Naruto! Oh, he was the comeback kid back there. When he broke Neji's jutsu with that odd red chakra-"

"Sakura," Sasuke interrupted. Their eyes met at the bathroom mirror. He glared. "Concentrate on my hair. I don't want to go bald." Sakura grinned sheepishly.

"Sorry!" she said quickly. "It's just that… I really don't like awkward silences. It makes me feel something's amiss."

"Just shut up for a moment and try to listen the peace of silence, or whatever it's called," Sasuke said irritably. "Your unending chatter won't let it be heard."

And Sakura listened, still cutting Sasuke's hair. Yes, it felt rather nice, with only the snips of the scissors punctuating it. She supposed it was because silence fitted so well with Sasuke's attitude. There was a lullaby even in the humid air, a soft song of silence that was joined by a little chorus of birds chirping. If she listened harder, she would probably hear a theme song somewhere. She smiled at the thought. He was right, silence was nice if you only thought about it.

It was a lot more peaceful now, Sasuke decided, as he watched a slight beam spread across the girl's face. **_She looks rather prettier when she's quiet and smiling, huh?_**

_Yeah…__I mean – no! Of course not! What the HELL are you talking about?_

_**Only what's in your subconscious.**_

He had to learn to block out that little voice someday.

Sasuke walked Sakura to the door after they swept his bathroom of his hair. As he glanced at the mirror, he saw that she had actually managed to give him a good haircut, and he couldn't have done better himself. "You look better than ever, Sasuke-kun," she said, grinning.

"Hn," he replied in a typical fashion. He ruffled his hair, a small gesture of nervousness. _I suppose I had better thank her._

Sakura stepped out into the sunlight. "Well, thanks for letting me do the job, Sasuke-kun," she said, that smile not leaving her face. "It was nice to actually do something useful while spending time with you."

Sasuke opened his mouth, trying to force the words out. Sakura watched him curiously. "I – I – well-" She raised her eyebrows, looking politely interested. "Thanks," he finally mumbled, watching his toes curl nervously.

Sakura blinked. "E-excuse me?" she sputtered.

"I said thanks," he said curtly. Honestly, why did the damn girl have to sound so surprised? "For cutting my hair."

Slowly, she beamed. "No problem, Sasuke-kun!" she said energetically. "I love doing stuff for you. I mean…"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," he mumbled, shooing her off with his hand. "Go on now."

Sakura smiled. Finally, she had gotten under his defenses, just once. And that was all she really needed to be happy.

* * *

About three years passed since that secret meeting.

Three years later saw Naruto running through Konoha after the short mission report in the Hokage Tower. He was in a jovial mood. Everything was going to be all right. Things were going to get back to normal. Sasuke was back, after all. If his trial would go well, then thing were definitely going back to how they were.

Naruto went to the direction of the hospital, wanting to have a little talk with the Uchiha prodigy. He may have been back, but there were still things to settle. Naruto knew he knew that some thing might not be forgiven. Kakashi had disappeared somewhere, saying he had already said his piece, Sai (_The bastard with dicks in the head, _Naruto thought irritably) had said he had nothing to say, while Sakura had just slinked away after the debriefing, mumbling she had something to do.

Naruto often felt such raw feeling that that moment he just felt an aching pain in the chest area, the way it would when he knew something wasn't right. Wouldn't Sakura usually be the first with those things? Shouldn't she be the one making the first move to talk to Sasuke?

If that wasn't the case, then there was really something wrong. He'd often thought that after this was over, Sasuke and Sakura would somehow end up being together. But the way things were going, well, that might not happen. And he felt bad about that. It wasn't right. Really it wasn't.

He had to talk to Sasuke about it. It would seem an awkward topic to talk about, considering they had just tried to kill each other a few days ago, but he knew he had said his piece about revenge and loyalty already. They were done talking about that.

This subject about Sakura would be dangerous ground and he would have to tread lightly. Naruto knew he was a little dense, but not dense enough not to feel that spark of something between his two teammates.

He entered the hospital, asked for Sasuke's room number, and went to find it. Once he did, he barged into it, not caring about the ANBU guards who stood beside the door or if he disturbed Sasuke's rest. "Oi, teme," he called by way of greeting.

"Hn," Sasuke said, sitting on the hospital bed, not looking at his rival. "What do you want?"

"We need to talk, Sasuke," Naruto said. Sasuke sneered.

"You going to repeat your whole revenge-isn't-really-what-you-need crap?" he asked mockingly.

Naruto pointed at him angrily. "You – you piss me off!" he yelled. "I don't know who's worse, you or Sai-bastard! That's not what I meant! I meant Sakura-chan!"

Sasuke, who had been sneering, dropped the sneer and put on a bewildered look instead. "What do you mean?" he demanded.

It was Naruto's turn to smirk. "You have a thing for her, dontcha?"

At Naruto's accusing grin, Sasuke stammered angrily, "You shut up, freaking idiot! I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Oh I think you do," Naruto said sagely, still grinning. "Has she been here lately?"

Sasuke stared at the hospital blanket. "No," he said quietly. The atmosphere turned heavy. Naruto knew he had gotten through.

"Well, if she hasn't yet, you'd better hope she will," he said just as quietly.

"Why do you say so?" Sasuke asked.

Naruto looked at him seriously. "Because if she doesn't, it means she's over you. Better hope she finds an excuse to come here."

Sasuke struggled to look at what Naruto was playing at, gripping the blanket harder subconsciously. When he realized what the Kyuubi vessel meant, he spat angrily, "What makes you think I care? She can get over me, for all I care."

Naruto sighed and put his hands behind his head. "That's not what your face is saying," he said. "Come on, Sasuke, you have to admit – it's getting to you, isn't it?"

"No it's not!" Sasuke growled. "Out, Naruto – get out."

"But-"

"OUT!"

"Fine!" Naruto snapped, striding to the door, slamming it open and close. _Geez, try to do a guy a favor and he kicks you out! _Naruto fumed. _Well, he can't blame me if he blows it with Sakura-chan!

* * *

_

It was official: Naruto was a nosy git and Kakashi was the same. Sasuke found himself boiling with anger at the both of them. Why couldn't they mind their own beeswax? It wasn't their business what he thought or felt about Sakura.

He remembered Kakashi saying, "_You know, Sasuke, of all the people you have to make it up to, it's Sakura and Naruto you have to the most._"

To which he replied, "_Shut up, Kakashi. I don't have to make it up to anyone if I don't want to._"

"_Yeah,_" Kakashi said, opening his Icha Icha Violence. "_But remember, Sasuke, you may not want to admit it, but you want your rival and your so-called number one fangirl to welcome you back. You know you do._"

_Dammit!_ Sasuke thought angrily, thumping his fists on the bed. _I don't care if Sakura doesn't come here and tell me she forgives me!_

But what if she didn't?

A slight pang went up his chest. What if she didn't? He still wouldn't care, right? That was how he was, and nothing would change that.

If she didn't come, who would care? He knew he didn't. He had better thing to worry about, like how his trial would turn out, and how he would kill Itachi, in his situation. He couldn't worry about some lovesick kunoichi's feelings.

**_But that lovesick kunoichi is Sakura, _**something inside him said slyly. **_That must make a difference._**

_No, it doesn't, _Sasuke argued angrily. _She's just another fangirl._

**_A fangirl who'd be willing to give up her all, even her life for you, _**the inner something said. **_Doesn't sound like just a fangirl to me._**

_If she doesn't come…_ Sasuke thought,

_I think I'll go crazy._

Somehow, the thought Sakura might not chase after him and give him her heart, gave him the feeling that there was a yawning gap in his chest. _Would it really feel… this empty?_

Sakura… she was a special girl; Sasuke realized that. But was she special enough to have a place, right in his heart? He let his head rest on the wall behind him.

_The moment I break her hear, I rip out mine._

_**Exactly.**_

He looked at the door anxiously. Would she come bursting in? Or would she stay away forever? He felt nervous – of all the confrontations, this was one he realized he dreaded. She hadn't said a word to him when they fought to get him back. That didn't affect him then, but now, it definitely sent him into panic.

What would life be without Sakura? It would be one less fangirl to worry about, and he would get on with life. But what kind of life would it be?

_An empty shell sort of life._

Sasuke closed his eyes, trying to drive away that dull pain that had settled in. It didn't feel too good. In the silence of his surroundings, however, he made out footsteps from outside the hall. They were getting closer. He didn't want to hope, but he found himself watching the door, waiting anxiously.

The door opened, and the light from the hall filtered in. Standing there was the very person he was thinking of.

"Sasuke-kun."

"Sakura," he said dryly, ignoring the thumping near his Adam's Apple. "What do you want?" Was she going to cry, or throw herself all over him, or do something drastic?

Sakura walked up to him, stared at him with smoldering eyes, and slapped him.

Sasuke's head turned at the impact, and he looked at her, confused. She grabbed him by the collar and began yelling at him. "_That _was for leaving me on that bench and leaving Konoha, you bastard! What do you think you were doing, dammit! You had me worried _sick_! Three years, Uchiha, three _years_! Did you get the strength you wanted, you fucker? Did you finally get that stick outta your ass? _Well_! If you ever, _ever_ do that again, I'm going to hunt your shitty chicken head down, you hear me?"

Sasuke stared at the hyperventilating kunoichi. When had she gotten so… foul-mouthed? This wasn't the sweet, gentle Sakura he knew. He only saw her talk like this to Naruto, but even then, she didn't use such dirty language. Where had the old Sakura gone?

The pink-haired nin finally let go of him and sighed. "Whoo! I'm glad I got _that_ off my chest." She smiled at him. Sasuke could still feel his jaw sagging.

"That's… it?" he asked. "You forgive me that quick?"

Sakura raised a finger. "Nuh-uh. You owe me – and Konoha – big." She reached for something in her pouch. Sasuke blanched when he saw the familiar pair of blades in her hands.

"Oh no-"

"Oh yes," she said, smiling dangerously sweet. "Consider this the first installment of your debt."

"Fine," he complied, sighing as though exasperated, although he was actually relieved. "It was getting long anyway."

"Skooch over," she said, and he moved to make room for her. She wrapped a big piece of cloth around his neck and started snipping at his overgrown raven hair.

"It isn't a good idea to cut hair on a _bed_, you know," he said fairly.

"You're injured," she replied fairly. "I don't want to strain you. You didn't take care of your hair much, now did you?"

"I didn't have time," Sasuke muttered. Sakura smiled.

"Well, now that you'll be training harder than ever, do you trust me to cut your hair from now on?"

He frowned. "What makes you think the Hokage won't have me executed?"

"Because I know Tsunade-shishou isn't like that," Sakura replied. "Well, what do you say? Shall I become your official hairdresser, Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke smirked contentedly. "Only because it'll pay my debt to you." Sakura giggled and they remained in comfortable silence. For now he could rest, knowing that for the moment, all was right in the world.

He was welcome now, no matter what the rest of Konoha may say. His teammates made sure of that. Sakura made sure of that. Her forgiveness was all he needed at the moment.

He was home, and he knew that only because of a haircut.

The simplest actions can be made to feel special – with the right amount of love.

* * *

**AN:** After a long break, I am DONE! I got a one-day reprieve from my dad.

This just came to me, another short omake. Two lines. I swear.

* * *

"Sakura, don't expect me to love you. I don't have a heart."

"You don't have one? Oh Sasuke-kun, have mine then."

* * *

I am lost in the pudding of fluff-loving-ness. Absolutely drowning, dearies.

**Thankies to: iluvanime493 **(that's to show she isn't such a fangirl anymore)**, Darkofthenight, PrincessChii, Details, flowerangel050, sweetmaiden, Jellybean89, CrAzY-siLLy-Me, Brandy Camel,x.Ninja.No.Yuki.x, Oukaru Hanako, paperpenman, Sakuranime, Kawaii Koneko92, babykitty2270, SerenityMelody, Little Minamino, fuu-nk, Ayane Selznick** (Aya-chan, checked out your drabbles. They were love)**, kurama-kawai** (yeah, that kind of tomatoes. Maasim at maliit yung atin. Ohagi, parang kakanin ng Hapon. Never tasted it, sadly), **Queen Cow and Steak, AiTenshiCosmos, ArishaGinkaze, Akita, Imperial Angel** (what's a strudel?)**, Tears like Crystals, bittersweetdreams** (I end ALL my chapters like that hun), **Nenekko-chan, Snotty Chim-Chim, purpleblush** (nice to know maraming maka-sasusaku na Pinoi!)**, emina-anime, ligice76, TsuneKunoichinoAme**... And all those who read, squealed in fangirl-ism-ness, and cosplayed as Gai and Lee! You make my heart warm...

And for reviewing the last chapter... you all get... A Kabuto plushie! Complete with a baseball bat!


	10. Valentines: The Right Time to Ask

**AN: **Yo, everyone! It's the TENTH chapter! I've finished one-fifth of this whole thing! - dances Johnny Bravo's The Monkey as a victory dance –

Thanks to the people who have read my humble collection from the start to the current! I'm so thankful for you guys!

**Most especially to: December Jewel **(hey, Itachi WEARS nail polish),** emina-anime **(ngaun lang dumating Hero sa Davao, actually. Pero nadownload ko na almost lahat ng eps)**, ArishaGinkaze, Cherry Arrow, Ayane Selznick **(I was hurrying a bit to give you guys an X-mas present...), **sweetmaiden, LittleMinamino, Uzamaki-Girl, Darkofthenight, Aya, Brandy Camel, neon kun **(- record player still keeps playing - AGH! I updated! Make it stop!)**, x.Ninja.no.Yuki.x, babykitty2270, cutiepie777, sya0ran, Krissel Himura, iluvanime493, puRpLebLuSh017, Queen Cow and Steak, luv hate it, DemonicPulter, pUrpLy sTaR **(AU? Maybe, hun. Actually, ung kambal ko ang gumawa ng AU for an English proj)**, yinyang-sensei, Oukaru Hanako, Fear my Fan **(no kiss, not yet)**, sharingan-x-blossom, Imperial Angel, boredteenager, kurama-kawai **(punta ka sa groups . msn . com / narutomangareturns. Meron silang online manga doon)**, AiTenshiKosmos, MizzBlizz, Isaac says Booga, ginbaby **( thanks for the reviews! Damn, that makes me feel so loved)**, drunkdragon **(isn't everyone?)**, pigeon, BloodySakuraLeaves, Tank **(nah, that's just Inner Sakura coming out. Goodness help us if she turns to Flute Girl)**, rumiko-serenity, Snotty Chim-Chim, lilxangelxsweetz, MyLittleCougarPaws, Celira, sharon-chan, DarkKnightDreamer, koa-chan, BlAcK silhOUeTTe, kyasarinyume07, animedogfreak, bittersweet dreams **(you just killed me with your lovely lovely long review),**AmayaSaria, **and the rest of the beautiful people who read this baby of mine!

For a prize, you all get a miniature dancing Kimimaro! (Isn't it funny all his jutsus are dances?)

I come bringing you another fill of my omake special! This time, it's a NejiTen…

* * *

**Sore ga AI Deshou! – Hyuuga Akari

* * *

**

**Disclaimer: **If I owned Naruto, Sasuke would have already come out in all his smexy glory.

Akari wasn't sure if Valentines was really in the air. All around their house, she couldn't find a single thing that hinted at this. There were no roses, no chocolate, no cut-out hearts and ribbons. Everything was in its usual order.

Now, she was a paranoid little thing, and had asked her older brother Kazuki if that meant Kaasan and Tousan just didn't love each other. "It's not just roses or chocolate that express love, Akari," he had replied tiredly.

"But look at it!" she had protested. "Hinata-baasan and Naruto-jiisan have them all, and they look so good together! They make it so obvious they love each other! But Kaasan and Tousan… well… all they do is insult each other."

"They're not insulting each other," Kazuki said patiently. "It's just… playful banter. You know, just teasing."

"How do you know?" the brown-haired girl insisted. "What if they're about to break up with each other? What if Kaasan leaves the estate or – or if Tousan has another wife? What do we do then?"

To which her brother replied, "You're being paranoid _again_, Akari."

Now, she just had to find out. So far, her investigation had gleaned her a few notes; she had spotted used champagne glasses in the sink, meaning they at least had shared a drink or two, and there was an empty box of chocolates in the trash. But that only meant they did this thing randomly, and they didn't mark occasions like Valentines at all.

_It would've been more romantic if Tousan gave Kaasan chocolates on Valentines, _she thought. _But it's all just so… random! If they don't have a sense of romance, that might mean they don't love each other!_

The twelve year-old decided to observe her parents' behavior. For the days preceding Valentines, they showed no sign of being aware of the date. The less they took note, the more she became frightened that they might separate.

Two nights before Valentines, she decided to use Byakuugan to see into her parents' room. Kazuki had warned her that not only would it be rude and unethical to do that, but she might find something, as he put it with blushing cheeks, disturbing and _embarrassing_. She had retorted cheekily, "I'm quite aware of what might go on in the bedroom, thanks!"

As she molded her chakra, she said to herself that if there was one place two people would express their love for each other, it would be the bedroom. She used her ability to see through walls, scanning her parents' bed.

She was disappointed. For her mother was on one side of the bed, and her father in the other, and they seemed to be oblivious to everything except sleep. Akari withdrew her blood ability glumly. Maybe they just didn't feel the love.

That night, they went to a concert, which often came during the Heart Season. "Well," Akari had said to herself, "at least they're going out." But she knew that they could've gone anytime, not just to mark an occasion. Valentines Day was just another ordinary day for them.

"Are you really giving up that easily?" Kazuki asked amusedly as she slumped into her room that night.

"Why shouldn't I?" Akari replied sullenly. "All week long I've tried to find proof they're going to do something for Valentines tomorrow, and I can't find one thing. They aren't even preparing anything for each other."

Kazuki shook his head sagely, looking quite like their father with his long dark brown hair. "It doesn't mean if they don't prepare for Valentines, they're not going to celebrate it. Check on them tomorrow and see."

Though Akari wasn't putting much hope in that, she decided to follow her brother's advice. Come Valentine morning, she crept from her bed towards her parents' window and hid under the windowsill. "Byakuugan," she whispered under her breath, not really expecting to find anything.

Boy was she surprised.

Her chocolate-haired mother taken more than her share of the bed and was now resting beside her father, whose eyes were closed. Her hand trailed lazily across his bare chest, singing softly. "_Wo_ _ai ni…_"

Akari raised her eyebrows. What did that mean?

Her father's left eye opened and he eyed her mother drowsily. "Tenten, what the hell…?"

"_Wo_ _ai ni…_" she sang softly again, in imitation of the singer in the concert. And then Akari realized it.

Wo ai ni. Aishiteru. It meant one and the same, only in a different language.

_I love you._

Her Tousan chuckled quietly. "Hn. Happy Valentines Day, Tenten."

Akari crept away from the window as silently as possible, grinning slightly. _Even if Kaasan and Tousan don't show it on the outside, but only when they think they're alone, sore ga ai deshou.

* * *

_

I hope you liked that, everyone! Now comes the main feature! And what could be more appropriate than a Valentine's Special!

**Warning: **NaruHina, ShikaIno, and NejiTen. Just a teensy bit of NaruSasu. (NaruKO. Now this is just plain funny.)

* * *

**Marshmallow 10:**

**Valentines: The Right Time to Ask

* * *

**

Sunlight glistened on the shiny glass of shops behind them an explosion of red and pink boxes, ribbons, and heart decorations. The smell of chocolate, wine, and roses lingered in the air. All around, people burst into cheesy songs.

Love was in the air in the Hidden Village of Konoha.

Sakura noticed this with increasing excitement as she walked through the village. It was nearly Valentines Day. It was Friday then, and Valentines Day was on Tuesday. _Four days to go! _she thought excitedly.

All around her, she could see different couples being sweet on each other, something that wasn't usual those days. It was perfectly normal, of course, for Naruto and Hinata to be quite sugary with each other, considering Naruto was a sweet guy when it came to Hinata, but added to their usual dose of sugar was the fact they kept disappearing for hours at a time (as seen by the fact they weren't in training, or in Ichiraku, or in any of their favorite places). And when they came back, Hinata would be blushing deep red and Naruto would look self-satisfied.

Now, it wasn't usual to see Neji and Tenten all mushy around each other. All they seemed to do then was to train, and then the occasional lunch or dinner out. But about a week before, there had been a small scandal running the streets about the Hyuuga genius pushing the weapons mistress into an alley and did "things that shouldn't have been done in public," as worded by the conservative types of the village. Sakura knew it wasn't just gossip either, since she herself saw red marks on Tenten's neck. She giggled, remembering Neji's reaction when he heard about his very own scandal.

Even Shikamaru, who was too lazy to take note of this sort of holiday, was making an effort to be nicer to Ino. He had been offering to help her out with things, like keeping shop. Ino, much to everyone's surprise, reciprocated by lessening her nagging. Sakura, in fact, had just seen Shikamaru casting furtive looks at the display of female perfume, trying not to look embarrassed at buying.

_They're so lucky, _Sakura thought. _To be able to spend time with their loved ones…_ She sighed. _I wish I was as lucky._

In truth, she was spending more time with Sasuke, and for that, she was grateful. But although Sasuke had finally allowed her to be closer to him, it was all training. Sasuke had realized the value of having a medic nin during training, and during the period of time they had spent together, he had opened up just a little to the pink-haired kunoichi.

She took quick steps to the Uchiha Estate, where Sasuke preferred to train. She had been there so much that Ino often teased her of being almost an Uchiha. This always reduced her to Hinata-like stammering, followed by defensiveness so vehement that Ino (or anyone who happened to be listening) wouldn't believe a word of her argument.

"_Sasuke-kun's your boyfriend,_" Ino would say, winking. "_Both of you just don't realize it yet._"

Sakura would rather not think of Sasuke as her boyfriend, however, since it was quite unclear what was going on between them. Sometimes he was sweet – he would offer her his coat if she was cold, or he would dress her wounds so tenderly even if they both knew she could heal herself.

But more often, he was harsh and cold. When she tried to talk to him about anything else about training, he would keep quiet, or worse, tell her to shut up. There were times, of course when he acted strange; he would stare at her for periods of time, or else try to be as close as possible to her. But this was hardly ever. Oftener was he stoic and unforgiving, disregarding everything besides trying to get strong.

This was the reason why she didn't want to mention Valentines Day to him. She knew he would either change the topic, or completely ignore her. She would rather not celebrate Valentines Day than get hurt. _And after all, _she had mused, _whatever Ino says, he's not my boyfriend. I've got no right to force him into anything._

Then she had mentioned this to Ino, Tenten, and Hinata, who all reacted in incredulity. "_But he's your boyfriend!_" Tenten had protested. "_You're supposed to go out whether he likes it or not!_"

"_For the last time,_" Sakura had argued, "_he's NOT my boyfriend!_"

"_He's almost your boyfriend,_" Hinata had pointed out softly.

"_And in any case,_" Ino had said sternly, arms crossed, "_the_ girl's _supposed to do the asking out during Valentines. Come on, Sakura-chan, you love him, don't you?_" She was sure she did. The question was, was the feeling mutual?

_Whatever, _Sakura thought, trying not to think too deep about it. Instead, she thought of what the girls had suggested: to hint (at the very least) about Valentines.

"_Who knows?_" Ino has said. "_It might actually get through Uchiha's thick head._"

She started humming a tune to herself as she skipped to the Uchiha's exclusive training grounds, wondering jokingly if _anything_ got through the Uchiha's skull at all.

* * *

_She's late._ Sasuke paced the grounds, having long lost interest on the training log, currently lying on the ground, singed and mutilated. Where was his sparring partner? _She should've been here twenty minutes ago,_ he thought irritably.

"Sa. Su. Ke. KUUUUN!"

He turned to face the sprinting kunoichi. Ah, there was the customary greeting. Years ago, he would've been annoyed to no end by it, but now that he was in the mature age of seventeen, he would've been worried if she didn't call him that. It was a force of habit, after all.

"Where were you?" he asked a little icily, his arms folded.

Sakura's smile faltered. "I was kind of distracted – um – with some of the - uh – objects… in town."

"Hn. Don't let it happen again."

Sakura mock-curtsied. "Will do, Your Majesty," she said sarcastically, wearing a barely suppressed grin.

Sasuke pulled on her arm as she giggled madly. "Stop goofing off, Sakura, and let's get to work."

The trained for a bit, but after a while Sasuke noticed something subtly different in Sakura's manner, like her efforts in meeting his eye (whether or not she wanted to he couldn't tell), her very slight bite of the lip (_She wants to tell me something_, he realized) and her small lack of concentration (her chakra control was wavering slightly).

Maybe no one could detect these signs, but he did. The years they had spent together, coupled with the Sharingan, were nothing if he didn't. He signaled her to stop. She screeched to a halt, withdrawing her chakra scalpel. "Eh?"

He walked up to her, an eyebrow raised. "Sakura, what's eating you?"

For some reason, she blushed. "Huh? O-oh! Uh – nothing, nothing!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "Sakura, don't give me that. I know better."

Sakura looked as though she was debating with herself. "Look," she said after a while, "if you think it's distracting me, then I'll put it out of my mind, okay? We'll talk about it later."

Sasuke nodded, and training continued. However, he couldn't shake off the feeling he was missing something vital.

* * *

"_Sasuke-kun, do you know what next Tuesday is?_"

"_Hey, do you have plans on the fourteenth?_"

Sakura groaned to herself as she and Sasuke took a water break. She still didn't know how to tell him about Valentines in the most subtle way. Like she had promised him, she put it out of her mind till their break. But now that she got to thinking, she realized she should've started thinking even before that.

"Sakura," came a puzzled baritone voice, breaking her thoughts, "why are you staring at me?"

Sakura blinked. "Oh. Um, well, I wanted to ask you something."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Shoot."

"Well," the medic nin began, playing with the water bottle in her hand, "do you have plans for this Tuesday?"

Sasuke looked genuinely surprised. "As a matter of fact, I do."

Sakura brightened. "You do?" Was this what she had not dared to even hope for?

"Yeah," Sasuke replied. "I've got a mission for the Godaime. Why?"

Sakura's smile dropped a little. "Mission?"

Sasuke nodded. "The mission briefing's this Monday." He cocked his head curiously to the side. "Why'd you ask?"

She laughed to hide her great dismay. "Oh, hahaha, I was wondering, because I had plans for Tuesday and - um – I wanted to know if – if you know, we had training together."

"I guess we don't," Sasuke agreed, and drank from his water bottle, not seeing his sparring partner's sad green eyes.

* * *

The afternoon after training, Sasuke walked out of the Estate after a few days of not going out. He had had a hard mission a week before; he had spent time resting and training alternately. But he had to get more supplies.

And so it was that Uchiha Sasuke went out of his estate with nothing in mind but tomatoes, milk, meat, and a few other necessities. And so was his preoccupation that when he stepped into downtown Konoha, he thought he might've stepped into his brother's Tsukuyomi with all the red that surrounded him.

"What the hell…?"

Hearts, hearts, hearts, ribbons, flowers, and more hearts were what greeted his onyx eyes. "Young man!" one of the stall owners called to him. "Chocolates for your girl?"

Another yelled, "Roses! Roses! Only 150 ryo per blossom!"

And then, there was the worst of them all. "**_SASUKE-KUN!_**" throngs of girls screamed, coming at him at all sides. "**_DATE ME FOR VALENTIIINES!_**"

Valentines.

And the gears of his genius mind started turning rapidly. _The red._ _The chocolates and flowers. The fangirls. Tuesday. Sakura and her weirdness. _Valentines. _All about_ Valentines.

_I am so whipped._

He didn't know which way to turn and was desperately considering doing a Katon on the innocent (coughrabidcough) girls when a blessed (but of course he wouldn't admit to that) voice called out, "Sorry girls, but he's with me."

He turned, and thanked heavens for once that he had a pervert for a friend. For there, being glared at by hundreds of girls, was a tall, voluptuous blonde with whisker-like marks on her cheeks. "Naru-"

"Come on you bas- I mean, you hottie," Naruko said, and Sasuke caught a grimace on her pretty face. He was forever grateful at the fact she didn't come naked. Under her breath, she said, "Teme, let's run." Sasuke didn't need telling twice, and pumped chakra into his feet, and the girls gave chase.

They ducked into the Ichiraku as the fangirls sped past it, stampeding through the streets. Sasuke panted heavily and looked at his companion, now a guy once more. "You owe me one, Sasuke-teme," Naruto said as he gulped down air. He grinned tiredly. "And to think I was jealous of you having fangirls once."

"Shut up, freaking idiot," Sasuke snapped, sliding into a seat. Naruto glared at him. "I don't have time for your ribbing. I'm having problems as it is."

"Ooh, weetle Sasooke has a weetle pwobwem." It was the Uchiha's turn to glare. "So, spill. What's wrong?"

"Sakura," Sasuke said as he ordered his usual, and Naruto started on his second bowl. "She's acting odd. It's like… she wants me to do something for Valentines." He scowled, blushing pink. "There's no other explanation why she hinted on what plans I had for Tuesday."

"Then why don't you take her out?" Naruto asked.

"I can't ask her out," Sasuke said quickly. "I don't do dates. I don't do Valentines. _And _not Sakura. I can't."

"But you're involved with her, aren't you?" Naruto asked. "Sakura-chan and you have something going, you have to admit. And don't deny it either," he added right away when Sasuke opened his mouth.

"I wasn't going to, but I'll tell you that's bull," he retorted. "It's just that I have a mission on that day. I can't ask her."

"Gah!" Naruto cried, throwing his head back. "What the hell is Tsunade no baachan thinking, giving you a mission on that particular day?" He looked at Sasuke. "Looks like your chances are blown."

Sasuke wanted to say he didn't want the chance at all, but something was preventing him from lying.

* * *

And then came February 13.

Sakura, lying on her bed, stared at her ceiling, feeling a little peeved. It was a day before Valentines, and no one had hinted they wanted to go out with her for that day. Not that she really minded, but the fact she was probably the only one of her friends to stay home on that particular day was grating on her nerves. _Why do I have this kind of luck?_ Sakura thought miserably, rolling over to her side. _All I really want is to enjoy Valentines. Is that too much to ask?_

She knew, of course, why it seemed no one was trying to go after her. _Sasuke-kun_, she thought, scowling. Everyone, including all the eligible males of Konoha, seemed to think she was taken. _But I'm not! Sasuke-kun's not my boyfriend!_

But she knew they thought that with good reason. She and Sasuke were together more often, and they sometimes walked town together, giving the villagers an impression they were going out. _And speaking of going out_, the coral-haired nin thought, _I'm never coming out for the duration of this holiday. Not with this whole fiasco of not having a date._

She didn't even want to admit to her disappointment about not being able to take Sasuke out for Valentines.

* * *

Sasuke stood in front of the blonde Godaime Hokage, who scanned him with shrewd amber eyes. "Jounin Uchiha Sasuke," she said. "You have been called here for a solo mission of utmost importance."

Sasuke felt like glaring at her, but his face remained stoic. He didn't know why he felt so annoyed at taking whatever mission this was. It couldn't have been because he couldn't spend time with Sakura for the next day. It was definitely something other than that. Or so he tried to convince himself.

"Your mission will be done today," Tsunade continued, and Sasuke raised his eyebrows. Did that mean he could be home early the next day and…?

"I am giving you a time limit, in fact," Tsunade said. She handed him a scroll containing the mission details. "Failure to comply, of course, will result in withdrawal of _all_ your nin privileges."

But being the over-achiever he was, Sasuke was confident he could do this mission. He didn't fear Tsunade's ultimatum, for whatever reason it was. Well, at least that was what he felt until he read was what written on the scroll.

_D-Rank Mission for Uchiha Sasuke: Within February 13, ask Haruno Sakura out for February 14.

* * *

_

"Yo, Aoba, what's wrong?" Kotetsu asked as he passed by his friend, carrying a stack of papers for the Godaime to sign. Aoba stood in place, stunned, along with a few other people who frequented Hokage Tower.

Kotetsu scanned his surroundings. The walls were scorched, a window was broken, and a chair was missing. "Ah," he said, nodding sagely. "Tsunade-sama has given Uchiha his mission."

* * *

Sasuke shook in anger. How could the Godaime do this to him? What did he do to deserve such a mission? Heck, it wasn't even a mission anymore – it was punishment. "Dammit!" he yelled, punching a wall and cracking it.

He didn't want his ninja privileges taken away, but he didn't want to ask Sakura out either. Or else, he thought he did. He gritted his teeth, trying to build up the courage to take the damn payphone and dial Sakura's number.

Brave shinobi Uchiha Sasuke was but Casanova he was not.

Finally, after fifteen minutes of staring at it, he grabbed the payphone, dropped in some coins, and punched in Sakura's number. The other line rang, and after the second ring, a feminine voice said, "Hello?"

"Sakura?" he said as nonchalantly as possible. "It's me."

"Sorry, this isn't Sakura," the voice said apologetically. "This is her mother."

It was good it was over the phone, or someone would've seen his chagrined look. "Uh, can I speak to Sakura, please?"

"I'm sorry, but she's taking a nap, and I can't disturb her. Why don't you call when she's awake?"

Sasuke sighed. "That's all right. I'll – I'll speak to her next time."

Plan A was trashed. It was time to work up the courage for Plan B.

* * *

_Why was this a plan again?_ Sasuke asked himself as he stood in front of Sakura's door. It had taken him another thirty minutes to force himself there, but his hand was rebelling against him, refusing to touch the doorbell. He heard footsteps from the inside, and _his_ insides churned. The door burst open.

"We have a doorbell, young man," a black-haired, green-eyed man in his forties said irritably. "What do you want?"

Sasuke gulped, wishing to face a thousand Orochimarus than this particular man, since those green eyes were quite familiar. "Uh, is Sakura in?"

The man turned a little purple, and a vein started throbbing in his temple. "_No_," he growled, and Sasuke grimaced. "And I suggest you stay away from my daughter if you know what's good for you."

"No, you don't understand," Sasuke protested. "It's a mission-"

The man raised an eyebrow, misunderstanding. "If it is, punk, would you look like you're ready to pee in your pants just to tell Sakura about it?"

_Damn._ _So this is where Sakura got her smarts_, Sasuke thought. "No, sir, you don't understa-"

"Stay away from Sakura, you hear me, brat?" the man said harshly, and Sasuke, whose temper had been flaring, debated on whether to perform a Katon on this guy or not. But he knew there was no way Sakura would go out with him if she found out he had burnt her father to crisp. Instead, he only nodded, and a few seconds later, the front door slammed his face.

* * *

Sasuke sprinted from the Haruno household, and thought of other possible places Sakura could be. _She might be looking into shops_, he thought. He didn't want to get into those shops, though. The mission was turning out to be a nightmare.

He scanned the crowds, and looked into shops, but the pink-haired girl was nowhere to be seen. _Where the hell is she?_ Sasuke thought, irritated.

Sure enough, when he craned his neck, he saw Sakura sniffing some samples of perfume in a body shop. Swallowing his pride, he strode to get to her-

And was immediately mobbed by a big crowd of males, who had been watching Sakura through the window.

"What the fuck!" Sasuke snarled as the other guys jostled to get closer to him.

"Hey, Sasuke-san," someone called. "Is Sakura-san free?"

"Sasuke-san, Sakura-san isn't your girlfriend, right?" another said, sounding hopeful.

"We can take her out too, right?"

Sasuke's anger escalated to full height. His bloodline ability activated, and the boys took a cautious step backward. "Get outta my way," he grumbled, and they made a beeline for him. He entered the perfume shop…

…to find Sakura had already left.

* * *

Sasuke managed to break away from the crowd of Sakura's suitors, and followed her easy-to-spot pink hair through the crowd. He saw her enter a sweet shop, oblivious to the fact he had been trailing her.

_At least it's easier to find an excuse to enter a sweet shop_, Sasuke was thinking, bracing himself to enter, when suddenly-

"**_SASUKE-KUN!_**" a bunch of females cried when they saw him, and his blood froze. "**_GO OUT WITH ME FOR VALENTINES!_**" They all ran at him, and when he found he was backed up on a wall, he knew he had lost.

"Sasuke-kun, please come with me for Valentines!"

"Don't listen to her, Sasuke-kun, I'm hotter than her, come with me!"

"Sasuke-kun, date me for Valentines!"

"Sasuke-kun I looooooove you!"

Sasuke froze, his face expressionless. And then, he started forming the Tiger Seal.

* * *

Minutes later, Sasuke found that he had lost Sakura again. He cursed under his breath, wishing the girls hadn't run away so that he could vent off his frustration and burn them all.

Flashes of pink everywhere deceived him into thinking it was Sakura. Sometimes, he would turn, hoping he would find Sakura, only to see ribbons or cut-out hearts.

But there was a flash of pink among flowers, and he turned to follow it. Sure enough, his search led him to the Yamanaka flower shop, where Ino was behind the counter. "Ah, Sasuke-kun!" she said cheerily. "Welcome to our flower shop! Anything you fancy? Roses? Tulips? Petunias?"

"Look, Ino, have you seen Sakura? I could've sworn I saw her-"

"Ah, so it's _cherry blossoms_ you fancy," she said slyly, and Sasuke looked ready to explode. But the Yamanaka suddenly looked a little sorry for him. "Actually, you just missed her. Sorry." Sasuke clenched his fists. Busted again!

Ino smiled. "Why don't you buy a flower for her?" she suggested. "If you're going to ask her out-"

"I'm not going to ask her out!" Sasuke snapped, lying through his teeth.

"Umhm, sure," Ino said, smiling, and reached for a bouquet of carnations and started wrapping it. Sasuke stared at her confusedly. After which, she handed it to him, saying, "Here. Sakura likes carnations better than roses."

"How do you know?" Sasuke asked, paying for the carnations as Ino declared victory in her mind.

"I've been her best friend since forever," she said, gleeful that Sasuke had fallen into her trap. "Now go on. She told me she was going home, so she should be heading there right about now. You can't miss her."

* * *

Sasuke weaved in and out of the crowd, walking the familiar street that led to where Sakura lived. He wanted to call out to her, but she seemed to be in a world of her own. Besides, he wanted everything to be private.

And then it happened, just as he stepped into the block where Sakura lived. Trailing him to that place was a crowd of Sakura's suitors, and a mob of rabid fangirls.

"Sasuke, can I take Sakura-san out?"

"Sasuke-san, Sakura-san's not your girlfriend, right? So that means I can ask her out, right?"

"Sasuke-kun! Go out with me!"

"Sasuke-kun, I made these chocolates with love!"

And as if it wasn't enough to be mobbed by all these people, some of Sakura's neighbors had turned to watch in interest. And Sakura hadn't even turned at the sound of his name, walking determinedly away.

"Brat! I thought I told you to stay away from her!"

Ah, that was the final blow. Sakura's father had stuck his head out their window after spotting him. Shaking in anger, Sasuke resolved to do one final move. He slipped into offensive stance, and the people backed away.

But then, he yelled, "Sakura!" and threw the box of carnations in the air.

She turned quickly, her eyes wide, and caught the carnations in her arms. "Whuh - _what_?" she whispered, bewildered.

_Dammit, screw private_, Sasuke thought, scowling. The whole neighborhood was quiet, watching with bated breath. "Yo!" he yelled, being about twenty meters away from her. "Will you go out with me tomorrow?"

Sakura's green eyes widened even more. "D-don't you have a mission?" she yelled back.

He decided to tell her about the mission later. "Screw the mission!" he shouted. "Will you go out with me or not?"

He could hardly breathe as she stared at him. Everyone waited for her answer. Then, she began to grin widely.

"YES!" she cried gleefully. "YES YES YES!"

Sasuke's expression turned from expectant, to stunned, to happily relieved. Sakura breathed hard, still smiling her huge happy smile.

And like a radio which volume escalated with every turn of a knob, the noise around them escalated. There were female wails of "Sasuke-kun!", male groans of disbelief, adult buzzing of gossip, and a certain Haruno patriarch muttered obsecinities so dirty his pink-haired wife had to chastise him.

But Sasuke was oblivious to all this. His eyes were only for Sakura, her half-smile still visible from where he stood as she entered their house, carnations in hand. He smirked, turning away as the mob in Sakura's street wailed, groaned, and gossiped away.

_Mission_ _accomplished.

* * *

_

If the way Sasuke had asked Sakura out was quite romantic and sweet (if not downright laughable), the date itself was normal enough in Konoha standards. However normal it was though, Sasuke delivered. _And how_, Sakura thought, more impressed at how _normal _it actually was than anything.

But what Sakura knew she would remember in the years to come was they way he had asked her. _Everyone in Konoha must know by now._

She was right, of course. The people present were enough to testify exactly what had happened. The facts didn't come without being dotted by rumors (Lee had actually asked her if she had really given the fangirls the finger, which she denied in horror), but from what she had heard, everything was accurate.

But that didn't matter. _Not really_, she thought, snuggling closer to Sasuke as they sat on his porch after their walk. _What really mattered was how Touchan reacted._

She had tried, as patiently as possible, to explain what had happened then. It turned out her father was just being a father, insecure about his daughter's welfare. "_But if this young man makes you happy, then fine,_" Haruno-san had grumbled, and Sakura was sure her mother had somehow intervened.

"Sakura, you're quiet," Sasuke said tonelessly. Sakura lowered her eyes sleepily.

"Mm," she replied. "Just doing some thinking."

"Sakura…"

"Hm?"

"I have something to tell you." Sasuke looked a little guilty, and Sakura looked at him a little closer. "That mission I told you about? Well… don't misunderstand, but… asking you out _was_ the mission."

Sakura looked a little surprised, but then she said calmly, "But if to ask me out was the mission, there wasn't anything about actually taking me out, was it?"

"Well, no."

Sakura smiled. "Then may I assume you did it out of your own will?"

Sasuke looked at her, a little amazed. "…Aa. I – I guess so."

The bubblegum-haired nin giggled. "Ah, well, that's good enough for me. So…" she added slyly, "then you _do_ like me."

Sasuke gulped nervously, then tried to smirk valiantly. "You'd be stupid not to notice that, Sakura."

She laughed, but after she looked a little serious. "So Tsunade-shishou gave you the mission?"

"Yeah. Obviously."

Sakura frowned. "But did you know it's supposed to be the _girl_ who asks the _guy_ out, not the other way around?"

Sasuke's eyes narrowed in contemplation, then widened in horror. "Then that means…"

Sakura grinned, a laugh dancing in her eyes. "She just played you."

* * *

Tsunade smirked at Jiraiya, who looked as though he had swallowed one of the frogs he usually summoned. "I win."

"Well, _technically-_"

"Technically, I win," the blonde Hokage repeated. "I told you Sasuke would fall for the ask-her-out-as-a-mission thing! The kid's too ninja-oriented!"

"But he liked Sakura already," Jiraiya protested. "He was gonna ask her anyway, even if you didn't give him the mission."

"That wasn't the bet," Tsunade said triumphantly. "Cough up, cough up!" she added, motioning him to hand over the moola. Jiraiya raised his eyes to the heavens, asking why in the world he had agreed to this bet.

* * *

Good things come to those who wait. Or atleast, to those who try and try again till they get it right.

* * *

**AN:** I finally finished it! Belated Happy Valentines Day everyone! 


	11. The Importance of Things: Minute

**AN:** Okay, the third installation of my omake, _Sore Ga AI Deshou!_ is here! This time, we'll focus on ShikaIno, as a special request by one of the reviewers. Next chapter will be a NaruHina, and after that, you can send in your requests, because I love having omake in this collection. My sister said I should make it a separate series, but I'm adamant. It will stay as omake.

* * *

**Sore Ga AI Deshou! – Nara Takeshi**

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I'm tired of disclaiming, so this goes for the whole series. I don't own Naruto. _Comprende_?

* * *

Nara Takeshi knew he had inherited some very bad genes when he was told he was lazy ass. From the way his mother talked about his father, it almost seemed she regretted marrying him. Secretly, the blond boy thought his father should be the one regretting being married to such a troublesome woman. 

But then, being married to troublesome women seemed to run in his family, since he had heard that his grandfather, and even before that, had been married to troublesome women. Even he was being bossed around by his teammate, Uchiha Setsuna, although he couldn't imagine them married. Her father would cook him alive even before _she_ could.

The men of the Nara were poor henpecked souls.

His laziness didn't really have any effect on his natural skill of being observant though. So he noticed his mother was more harried than usual as he hung around their flower shop. She was bossier, and her tongue was sharper – she had snapped at an innocent bystander (who turned out to be the revered Hyuuga weapons mistress) for touching the flower arrangement that she had just painstakingly put together.

And so it was that when he decided to hang around the shop for a while, it was a big mistake. A harried mother and a lazy son just didn't mix well. "Takeshi-kun, bring that bunch of cattleyas over here," she ordered as customers began pouring in like a flood.

"Pshaw, get it yourself," Takeshi answered dully as he stared at the clouds from behind the shop's clear glass. "It's a half meter from you – you could easily reach for it."

"Takeshi-kun," the Nara woman muttered dangerously, "if you talk like your lazy-ass of a father, I swear I'll make you eat soap from today till you become a jounin, which by the way, you're too lazy to become."

"Fine, fine!" Takeshi exclaimed, knowing the threat could become reality. "So troublesome," he muttered under his breath as he transferred the cattleyas onto the countertop.

"Make sure your mother doesn't hear you say that," a voice in his ear said, and he looked up to see his father. He sighed in relief, and made a small noise when the older Nara ruffled his white-blond hair.

"You say that too," he complained, but his father only smiled in a bored manner. The twelve-year old glared up at him. "Why'd you marry such a troublesome woman, anyway? Do you really love that kind of attitude?"

"I asked my father the same question when I was your age," his father said, watching his wife bark out orders to the other workers in the shop. "You'll understand when you're older."

The blue-eyed woman caught sight of them. "What are you both standing there for? Get to work! Shikamaru, why are you influencing your son to become a lazy-ass? I still have to make the flower arrangement Sakura asked me to make! Shikamaru, am I the only one stressing here? Stop slacking and help me!" Then she turned her wrath on her other workers. Takeshi glanced at his father, who had the look of a henpecked man once more.

"So… why'd you marry _that_?" he asked shrewdly. The Nara patriarch raised his eyes to the heavens.

Truth be told, Takeshi almost pitied his mother now, as she got more stressed. _I guess it's kinda hard to run a shop with help outta reach,_ he thought. His mother's blue eyes looked as though they were near tears. _Oh boy. _He looked up at his father, who had the most curious expression on his face.

The blonde woman turned to them again. "Shikamaru, come on, help me out here! This _is_ hard, you know! Stop being a slacker and give me a hand!" Her voice was nagging, but her eyes were pleading. She whipped her long hair away from her eyes with a graceful flick of her wrist. "These customers are such a pain – I really need the extra help! Shika, are you even listening? Stop staring in space and listen to me! Shikamaru, if you don't listen I'll stick an anthurium up your-"

"Ino," Takeshi's father said easily, putting his hands in his pockets and smiling slightly, "do you know you have such a nice way of putting your hair away from your eyes?"

This threw both Takeshi and his mother off guard. The young Nara looked from his mother to his father and waited for the explosion. Nara Ino had an unreadable expression on her face.

But the explosion never happened. Instead, the flower femme had a soft smile on her face, and Takeshi made sure he looked away as she kissed her husband on the cheek. "That's sweet, Shika-kun," she murmured. But she grinned evilly at him, and the male Nara looked apprehensive. "But that doesn't excuse you from working. Now, come on."

As he watched his parents work in the shop, odd but peaceful smiles on their faces, a thought crossed his mind.

_When someone can make your bad day better by giving the most obscure compliment, then… sore ga ai deshou._

* * *

**AN:** After not updating for a few days short of an entire year, here is the next installment! I've been focusing so much on _The Legends in the Making_, Gaia Online, and most importantly, school, and I've quite neglected this one. I'm truly sorry, everyone. :bows frantically at everyone: 

**All my gratitude to: Saiyanfanatics, everlastingxwish (**It means, "That's love"**), CrAzY-SiLLy-Me, Shin Chim Hye, Tears like Crystals, emina-anime, December Jewel, Darkofthenight, Sakuranime, Aria's star, Dying On The Inside, kyasarinyume07, susakuru, Note-binder, ShinkuNoTenshi, OO, sweetmaiden, ArishaGinkaze, Brandy Camel, cutiepie777, neon kun, Ayane Selznick, boredteenager (**"kasabot ko, pramis" XD**), almarilyo, Krissel Himura, Celestartial Blossoms, ligice76, Oukaru Hanako, animemistress419, Queen Cow and Steak, chimamire, lilxangelxsweetz, Sienna Alexanderson, Me-Sama, Anna, halosangel, Hai Kami Cookie-Chan, rumiko-serenity, pink weasel, Postal Service, aya.chaos's cousin, Reni-Chan, sarafu-chan, kittydemon18,ToCOrNot 77, koa-chan, Denisen, Zen-san, Epiff Annie, Mayumi Nakashima, AiTenshiKosmos (**yup, in Japan, it's the girl who does the asking**), akari, Green Animelover, kagomefaves, evilteddybear, luv,angel-muzik,baby, Shiro Aki, psychopiratess, Crystal Renee, serenitatis417, Pink Shinobi, StarryMelody, Kanami, Sarah Rebecca, emeraldoni, daydreamer53221, Archerelf, tarzi-kins, HyperMM, MM-Kokopelli, kattylin... **and those lovely people who deserve all the Naruto-shaped balloons in the world!

Well, in this one, it'll be composed of several of my chibi!SasuSaku fantasies. 'Nuff said.

* * *

**Marshmallow 11:**

**Importance of Things: Minute**

* * *

For Haruno Sakura, it was those memories of little moments that grounded her to her goal.

* * *

She was four, and it was a typical weekend. She had no friends to play with, but it wasn't that she minded – her four-year-old mind was too young to conceive the idea that it was lonely to be alone. 

Her mother didn't know she had been slipping out of the house lately, and she always came back before her mother could notice. (Perhaps that was her destiny to become a ninja coming out of her.) There was so much of the fascinating outside world to see; the smells, the sounds, and the lovely feeling of being a child in the spring gave her such a rush, one that she didn't understand nor tried to understand.

Today she wandered off to the lake she had discovered far beyond the reaches of home. The air was cool around the lake, and the wind made ripples in the water. She stood by the wooden dock's edge and tried to grasp the minnows that had gathered under the shadow of the dock's underside, and the minnows scattered away. Then and again, she made small ripples with her small white hands till her hand was numb with the water's cold.

Then she stood up and decided to pick flowers to make a crown. The white daisies she spied, however, were on top of the hill with a road leading away from it. The way up was grassy, and the hill was a little steep, but she bunched up her pastel pink dress and scrambled up to reach the flowers.

Sakura stretched her hand, careful not to slip on the dewy grass. She grasped the grass under her hands, and made a grab for the white daisies. She swiped, but then she missed. She put out her lower lip in annoyance, then stuck her tongue out in concentration. She pushed herself up to grab the flowers again. _Just a little further… just a little further… and…_

A foot appeared.

Sakura looked up, and met wide obsidian eyes.

Her distraction made her miss grabbing the daisies. Furthermore, the surprise of finding someone other than herself in that place made her lose her footing. She grabbed desperately at the moist grass around her, trying to clamber up the hill, her slipper-clad feet trying to find even footing, but a second later-

"Aiyeeeeeee!"

-she was rolling down the hill.

She landed on the soft grass of the lakeside with a thump, a little dazed and her hair covered in grass. "Owie," she mumbled, scrunching up her nose, her eyes shut closed.

Her eyes fluttered open, and she found the owner of the obsidian eyes that had distracted her looking down on her with a mildly puzzled expression. "Are you okay?" the boy asked.

She nodded, closing her eyes and waiting for the boy to leave. She was a little embarrassed, and she didn't expect him to stay out of concern (because hardly anyone did that around her). But when she opened her eyes again, she found him, sitting beside her, a finger dangling her now broken right slipper.

"It broke?"

"It did," the boy confirmed. Sakura sighed as she sat up. Now she would have to walk home barefoot.

She waited for the raven-haired boy to give the slipper back to her, but he was still examining it. "Can I have it back?" she asked after a while.

"No," the boy said. Sakura pouted indignantly, but he smiled slightly at her. "I can fix it."

She cocked her head to the side, feeling curious. Could he fix it? He looked about her age, and she didn't really think he could do it. In fact, something told her he might take off with it and leave her missing a slipper. Boys did that sometimes.

But something else told her to trust him. And being naturally trusting, she watched quietly as he fiddled with the slipper's strap. She spread her legs and wiggled her toes, patiently waiting for her slipper to be repaired. The boy tore a cattail from the lakeside and removed the fluffy end. Then he used the long stem to tie the slipper's strap back into place. "There," he finally said, twirling the slipper around to admire his handiwork.

Sakura put the slipper on her foot and wiggled her toes again. "It won't come off anymore?"

"For a bit," the boy replied, shrugging.

"Till I get home?"

"Maybe."

"How come you know how to fix it?"

"Niisan taught me."

Sakura blinked her green optics. "Oh. You have a niisan."

The boy seemed enthusiastic about his brother and grinned. "He's the best."

"I don't have a niisan," Sakura said offhandedly, wiggling her toes again to see if the strap would break if she did.

"Why?" the boy asked.

"I don't know."

The boy watched her wiggle her toes for a while. Then he asked, "Why didn't you take the stairs?" He pointed to the staircase leading up the hill.

"I don't know," Sakura said again, looking at him. She smiled. "It's more fun to climb, I guess."

After a few minutes of comfortable silence, Sakura stood up and patted her dress clean. "Bye-bye. Thank you."

"You're welcome," the boy replied. "Bye."

Sakura gave him one last smile and a wave, and he returned it. The pink-haired girl ran off, completely forgetting about making daisy chain crowns. When she got home, her mother seemed to have found out she had been leaving the house (and she supposed the grass in her hair didn't help, either) and forbade her to go out of the house without her until she was old enough to go to school.

It was a pity, she had thought back then, because she hadn't thought to ask for his name.

* * *

She was five and a half, and she had just started the Ninja Academy that spring. The lessons were hard, and the physical stuff was even harder. That day, they had taken various physical and written tests, and she was drained from everything. It didn't help that she was slightly younger than her classmates. 

Sakura decided to rest before going home, because she felt that if she walked home in this condition, she would probably collapse in exhaustion in the middle of the road. So she sat down on the stairs of the empty dojo and watched the other children go home, either by ones, twos, threes, or more. She was still alone, but she was unbelievably shy and didn't know how to make friends. Now that she was a little older than four, it was starting to hurt.

She closed her eyes, feeling drained in all aspects. Maybe she wasn't fit to be a ninja – she wasn't smart or strong or even energetic.

_Maybe I should just quit…_

She opened her eyes again, and horror sank deep into her stomach – what had been late afternoon when she closed her eyes was now night. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she began to panic. How many hours had it been since she fell asleep? More importantly, did she have to go home alone in the _dark_? Her mind flooded with all the horror stories that her classmates told – about ghosts of vengeful ninja, or about kidnappers preying on little children.

_Thud._

She jumped right out of her skin, too frightened to even scream. _What was that?!_ She looked around her surroundings, using her bag to shield herself from whatever unknown predator there was in the empty school. The ghost stories about the Academy came back to her, like the one where the Nidaime Hokage's ghost still roamed the Academy grounds, or about that headless kunoichi who would come floating around the corner at random during the night.

She scrunched herself up into the tiniest ball she could form. _Thud!_ She heard it again, and she was about ready to pass out.

She heard three successive thuds, footsteps, and quick draws of breath. She resisted the urge to shriek.

_Calm down… what was it Iruka-sensei said again? Yeah – always think rationally._ She whimpered to herself. _But what does "rationally" mean?!_

Five successive thuds, footsteps, a skidding noise, then- "UGH!"

Sakura couldn't take it anymore. "KYAAAAAAAA!" she shrieked, diving into the nearest bush.

She heard footsteps coming out of the dojo, and she realized that her foot had twisted in an odd angle and was shooting tendrils of pain up her leg. She had managed to twist it as she leapt into the bush. She had nowhere to run, if she even could. She heard the bushes rustle, and saw a hand reaching into the bush – towards her face.

"KYAAAA! Ghost-san, don't eat me!!!!"

"What _are_ you talking about?"

She opened her terror-filled eyes and saw that a raven-haired boy had her by the wrist, attempting to pull her out of the bushes. Her stunned mind finally began to process that it wasn't a ghost who had been making all those noises.

"Sa-sa-sasuke-kun?" she stuttered, breathing hard after becoming frightened so badly.

"Sakura, isn't it?" he asked, a dubious look on his face. "What're you doing here so late?"

She glared at him as he pulled her up – she somehow forgot to be shy in her shock. "You scared me!"

"You're not answering my question," he shot back. "I thought I was alone till you started screaming. What're you doing here at this hour?"

She shot him a defiant look, though her cheeks were colored with embarrassment. "I could ask you the same th- OW!"

She had attempted to put her weight on her left foot, and she remembered she had twisted it. "Owww," she moaned, trying to balance on one foot.

"It's swollen," Sasuke observed.

"Great," Sakura mumbled to herself, not in the best of moods. "I'm tired, I'm hungry, it's dark, and I hurt my foot. How am I going to get home now?"

"I'll walk you home."

Sakura stared at Sasuke. "_You_? _Walk _me home?"

"Okay, _carry_ you home, if your foot is _that_ bad," Sasuke amended a little irritably, scratching his nape. He looked a little discomfited as well. "I have a favor to repay, so…"

Sakura, felt pleasantly surprised, even as she couldn't remember whatever "favor" he was talking about. Since the first week of the entrance ceremony, Uchiha Sasuke already had a lot of admirers, not counting the teachers who were blown away by his prodigious skill. As far as she knew, He had already been invited by certain groups of girls to do things she didn't comprehend, but he always turned them down. He never let himself get close to anyone, so Sakura realized that this was a major step for him.

"Okay."

Sasuke nodded, smiling tiredly. "Let me get my things. I was going home anyway."

Soon enough, Sakura was settled on Sasuke's back as he gave her a piggyback ride home. "I'm tired and I'm hungry," Sakura grumbled to herself. "I wish I were home. Turn right here," she added, addressing Sasuke. He shifted her weight and turned the corner.

"Stop complaining," he scolded. "A shinobi mustn't complain under any circumstance. It could be worse. My niisan taught me that."

"I wasn't complaining," Sakura murmured defensively, burying her face into his shirt. "I'm just saying it like it is. At least I get a ride home." She giggled.

"Lucky you," Sasuke muttered sarcastically, but she imagined he was smiling.

At that point, a magenta-haired woman had come running towards them and had picked Sakura up from Sasuke's back. Her mother began telling her how worried she was and that she and her father had come looking for her when she didn't come home. But Sakura wasn't listening. She was watching Sasuke's back retreat from her gaze, without even saying goodbye.

Unbeknownst to her, one Watanabe Ami had seen the kindness of Uchiha Sasuke towards her, and the bullying would start the next day.

* * *

She was almost seven, and the bullying had stopped, somehow. But her protector, Yamanaka Ino, had to take a special class for failing at a subject, and now she was alone in the playground, sitting on the swing set. She swung silently – till now she didn't dare stand out and swing too high, in case it would draw the bullies toward her. It was an old habit. 

"Well, how do you do, Forehead Girl?"

Sakura froze, gripping the swing's chains. Without even turning, she knew that sickly sweet voice was Ami's, and that she stood no chance against her and her cronies. She remained in her seat, unmoving, until Ami made an impatient noise and positioned herself in front of Sakura, who refused to meet her eye.

"Why, how rude!" Ami sneered. "Forehead Girl refuses to greet me!"

Sakura thought of how Ino told her not to be intimidated by name-calling, and raised her head to meet Ami's eyes. "My name is _Sakura_," she said quietly.

"Really?" Ami's friend asked mockingly. Another pulled her head back by the hair. "I dunno about you, Ami-chan, but 'Forehead Girl' suits her just fine."

"Let go!" Sakura cried, trying not to lose her balance as she struggled from the bully's grasp.

"Ooh, Forehead Girl's fighting back!" Their cruel laughter resonated in her ears, but she continued struggling.

"Hey, I just thought of a game we could play!" Ami exclaimed. "Let's make Forehead Girl go all the way over the swing set!"

"Ami-chan! Isn't that dangerous?"

"Don't be ridiculous," Ami responded airily. "If Forehead Girl is _really_ a shinobi, she wouldn't die." She grinned at Sakura. "Right, _Sakura_?"

Sakura didn't get a chance to respond as the three bullies began swinging her as hard as they could. The chains creaked dangerously, and the pink-haired girl couldn't even scream in terror, clutching desperately at the chains. At the rate they were pushing her, she would surely go over, or fly off the swing. Her sweaty palms were slipping from their tight hold around the chain.

Ami and her friends gave her one big shove, and her grip slackened. In one horrible moment, she sailed in the air and landed prostate on the ground when shinobi reflex failed her. Her vision was hazy and she was sure the back of her head was bleeding. Her entire body felt sore and bruised. "Did she die?" one of Ami's friends squealed.

"Nah, she's just pretending to be unconscious," Ami said. "Look at the way she's chewing her lip!" She kicked Sakura in the gut. "What're you going to do now, Forehead Girl?" She kicked Sakura again, and this time, the green-eyed girl let out a cry. "Ino isn't here to protect you! You're weak on your own!"

"No one's going to help you now!" Ami and her friends taunted, laughing.

_That's right, I'm weak without Ino-chan,_ Sakura thought to herself, trying to stop her tears from flowing as she shielded herself. _It'll always be like this._

"No one, huh…"

The kicking stopped. Sakura looked up to see Ami and her friends become mesmerized with the perfect sight that was Uchiha Sasuke. "Sasuke-kun!" Ami squealed. "We were just punishing Forehead Girl for-"

"For being such a weak kunoichi that she can't even defend herself?" Sasuke asked, and the girls tittered. Sakura found that those words hurt more, now that they came from someone as skilled as Sasuke. She hung her head low. "Yeah, well," he added, "I don't like people who are weak. But then," he glared at the bullies, who recoiled, "she'll grow out of it. But you probably won't grow out of being bullies, and I hate bullies more."

"B-but Sasuke-kun…" Ami simpered, but Sasuke's glare only deepened.

"Just leave her alone," he said impatiently, and Ami and her friends finally retreated. Sakura picked herself up, wiping away the grime from her skin. The Uchiha boy, who now sat beside her, looked slightly concerned as she tried to clean up the best she could.

"I'm okay," Sakura said, smiling at him.

He seemed surprised and embarrassed. "I didn't ask," he muttered defensively, whipping his head away, but Sakura could see his ears had turned red.

She smiled sadly. "You're always helping me."

"Not always," Sasuke replied, still looking away.

"One day, I'll be stronger than this."

"Oh, really."

"Yeah, really! I'll become stronger than Ami!"

"Suuuure."

"And," she glared at him, in the most determined fashion, "I won't need anyone to protect me."

Sasuke met her blazing eyes, deliberating them. "Right," he said skeptically.

Sakura took offense at this. "Of course I'm right. I'll be the one protecting _you_ one day, Sasuke-kun!"

"Now that's going a bit too far," Sasuke said petulantly, standing up and dusting his shorts. But he gave her a small smile. "I'll be waiting for that."

She watched him walk away, like she did about a year ago. She smiled and nodded. That day would definitely come.

Ino came looking for her and was frantic when she found Sakura bruised, but her timid friend chastised her and lied about being bullied and rescued; Ino never left her alone for a second after that, until she was sure Sakura could handle herself. After a night of thinking, Sakura came to a decision and announced to all her friends the next morning,

"You guys! I found someone that I really like!"

* * *

_I do wonder if he remembers those things._

* * *

For Uchiha Sasuke, those little memories anchored him to his past.

* * *

He was nearly five, and it was a hot June afternoon. Itachi, who had the day off, insisted that they both take time to visit the new ice cream shop that had opened at the corner of some street. His brother was infamous amongst the clan members for his love for sweets, and was known to skip practice to buy sweets from this or that store. He sometimes snuck dango into his room, a habit their mother disapproved of. It was a mundane, yet amusing side of the Uchiha genius. 

In contrary with his elder brother, Sasuke didn't like sweets all that much. He wasn't opposed to the idea of getting ice cream especially in that heat, but he preferred cold tomatoes than a creamy-cold confection. Most people found this strange, but his mother attributed his healthy goody looks to this odd favorite.

Itachi bough him a chocolate ice cream cone. While he haggled with the counter girl for three scoops on his cone instead of just two, Sasuke watched the ice cream melt – he didn't fancy taking lick of it yet. It looked too sweet. He decided that he didn't like ice cream after all.

_Splat!_

Sasuke turned to see a pink-haired girl staring in shock at the chocolate ice cream cone she had been holding, now upside down on the floor. He watched her lip tremble – it looked as if her reward for carrying that big grocery bag beside her had just been wasted.

A stab of pity poked at his chest, and he realized that the strawberry-haired girl probably needed, or else wanted, the ice cream that was slowly melting in his hand, more than he did. He was eager to get rid of it, anyway. He slid off the seat Itachi had put him in and strode right up to the teary-eyed little girl.

Her head was bowed, but when she raised it to look straight at him, it suddenly struck him how very like open windows her eyes were, like there was nothing to hide. They were soulful and emotional, and it startled him with all the information they seemed to hold. And they looked familiar – an added mystery. "Y-yes?" she hiccupped.

He wasn't the type to dilly-dally. "Here," he offered bluntly, holding out his cone.

The girl stared at the cone. "R-really? I can have a lick?"

"It's yours," Sasuke said, slightly exasperated. If she licked it, would anyone even want it anymore? "Take it before it melts."

He hurriedly transferred the cone's ownership to her, and she quickly licked off the dribbling cream off the cone. She gave him a wet, chocolatey smile. "Thank you," she chirped. "Do you want anything for it?"

"Well, no, I-"

But she was already fumbling around in the grocery bag. "You like cookies?"

"No…"

"Pocky?"

"No…"

"Not even pickled umeboshi?"

"Gross! Who eats that stuff?"

She gave him a glare. "I do!" She shifted the bag again. "Um… I only have lettuce and tomatoes left, so-"

Well, wasn't he a lucky fellow, though. "I'll take the tomatoes," Sasuke piped up immediately. She blinked her great green eyes at him as she stopped licking the chocolate cone.

"You want me to trade tomatoes for ice cream?" she asked, a little incredulous.

"What about it?" Sasuke mumbled, blushing.

"N-nothing!" the girl stuttered. She reached in and gave him the whole bag of tomatoes. 'You can have all you want." She gave him a smile, and his cheeks heated again. She _was_ pretty after all, even if her hair was weirdly pink.

Soon after, he heard her mother laughing at their little trade. Itachi, on the other hand, at once looked bewildered at the fact that his little brother's cold confection had been magically replaced with the vegetables he was now munching with gusto.

She _did_ look familiar, he though afterwards. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

* * *

He was six, and it was time for their balance training exam. Everyone had to walk across a wooden balance beam carrying two pails of water hung on the each end of a bamboo pole. It was a standard procedure that everyone needed to pass this test before moving on too the next level. 

Uchiha Sasuke didn't just "pass" tests, however – he aced them. Everyone expected him to ace the final exam of the school year, just like he had in the other exams. It wasn't pressure on him at all; he aced tests all the time and there wasn't any reason this one would be any different.

The day before the test, Sasuke waited his turn while the other kids took theirs before him. He was going to blow away all competition, he knew, and it was because of the proud Uchiha blood in his veins. It would never fail him.

"Wow, Haruno-chan's really doing it!"

He looked up and frowned immediately. On the balance beam was his pink-haired classmate, Haruno Sakura, the bookworm of the class, and she was the last person anyone would expect could handle the pails the way she did now. Her balance was perfect – it was like she was already using chakra, like the older kids. She was balancing on the beam with the ease and poise of a grown kunoichi.

Well, Sasuke wasn't about to stand for that. He couldn't let an especially clumsy female beat him on the balance beam. The other kids went to the playground to play, while he was left alone by the balance beam.

To his surprise, as he got ready to cross the beam, he noticed Sakura waiting patiently by the end of the beam. "What're you still doing here?" he asked. "Aren't you going to play with your friends?"

Sakura smiled sheepishly. "I'm waiting for my next turn so I can practice again. I'm not very good at it. Besides," she added, "I don't have any friends, so…"

_She's not very good at it?_ Sasuke thought incredulously. _She can beat even me!_

"We-ell," he said out loud, "everyone says you're good. But I'm better, just watch."

"Of course you are, Sasuke-kun," she conceded meekly.

He got up on the balance beam with a cockiness to match his prideful Uchiha features. Sakura watched him from about a meter away. He walked across the beam as quickly as he could, to show this puny girl that he could, in fact, be better than her. _Especially_ her.

He faltered a bit midway through the beam, but he managed to right himself. He took a big breath for another try. He walked as deliberately as he could, but keeping his old pace.

It happened quickly. He missed the next step, wobbled, and promptly fell off the beam, spilling an entire bucket of water at his only spectator.

The sound of the splashing of the water alerted the other kids to their position. Sasuke turned red – once the other kids came over, his reputation of being flawless in terms of ninja skill would be down the drain. They'd probably tease him for weeks about falling from the balance beam and spilling water on someone – that someone being the best at the balance beam, no less. They'd probably think he sabotaged her chances by dumping cold water all over her and give her the flu.

"Are you guys okay?"

"Why're you all wet, Haruno-chan?"

"What happened, Sasuke-kun, Haruno-chan?"

_Here it comes,_ Sasuke thought miserably. _She'll probably tell them how horribly I failed._

"Well… umm… Sasuke-kun…" Sakura began. "He… I mean, I… _I_ thought it's terribly hot today, so I dumped the entire pail on my head! Ahahaha! I guess it was a stupid thing to do, huh?"

"It really is," one of the other kids said as everyone laughed with her. "What did you eat to make you do something like that?"

"I told you," Sakura lied indignantly, "I was hot!"

It was an amazing and downright guilt-triggering thing to have someone lie for you to save your face, without any prompting. And that was what Sakura did for him, at the expense of her own dignity. What did he do to deserve something like that? He'd even tried to put her down!

Moments later, a couple of teachers dried Sakura out while Sasuke watched from the balance beam. It was a strange feeling to have someone other than his brother watch his back, and he blushed at the fact that it was a girl with pink hair and really pretty green eyes.

He would probably have to repay the favor someday.

* * *

He was eight, and the clan was gone. 

He had refused to eat or sleep for the past few days, because he had no appetite, and sleep only brought nightmares. All he could do was stare into the lake and marvel at how much he looked like the person he detested more than anyone in the entire universe.

The past week had been a whirlwind of emotions, and when it ended, he ended up physically, emotionally, and mentally spent. His eyes became hollow and empty as he stared into the cold water of the lake. There was only blackness in the lake, far beyond the reaches of sunlight.

He knew he would have to let go of all he had ever known, if he was ever going to chase his brother down. His pride at being the best, just like his brother, would have to become his drive to be stronger than his brother. His amusement with that Uzumaki kid trying to surpass him would have to be replaced by utter concentration on the ninja arts and that alone. His small crush on one Haruno-chan would have to dissipate into pure passion for revenge.

That was the only thing that mattered then.

He stared into the lake, growing deeper into a vertex of cold black. He could imagine how very like his life it was now – he was letting go of the last dregs of childhood light and plunging into the darkness of adult life, in pursuit of his brother.

That meant no more leisurely walks around the lake. No more ice cream shops or trolling for tomatoes. No more stopping to help girls in distress, whether they were frightened of the horrors of the night, or of the horrors of bullies. No more tripping and falling down. There was no time for mistakes.

No time for mistakes meant no time for mundane little things like those moments he had shared with that one little girl. He had to forget them now and focus on what was set on the grim path of his destiny.

_Hate and detest me. Live a hateful life. Run… Run…Cling to life pathetically. And when you have these eyes, then come get me._

A surge of powerful, overwhelming hatred gathered in Sasuke's chest, and on a whim, he leapt off the dock and plunged into the dark waters of the great black lake.

As he sank deeper into the water, he could feel himself going farther and farther from the warmth of the light. He could feel all the worldly, childhood inhibitions being stripped from him by the cold water, washing him until he was all but blackness.

_Niisan… I don't care how deep I have to go into this darkness – I will do it in order to kill you. I will do whatever it takes to get that power!_

That was it – his final resolve. He closed his eyes.

His eyes snapped open again when he heard a splash from where he had just been.

_That light…_

There was light trying to reach him, trying to grasp him from the depths of the dark lake. It was reaching frantically at him, desperately clawing at his wrist and pulling him up. Startled, he couldn't do anything but let that light drag him to the surface.

He broke the water's surface with one Haruno Sakura.

They dragged themselves from the lake to the banks, breathing heavily after that dip into the lake. Sasuke stared at the little kunoichi, her pink hair and clothes waterlogged, and her eyes swimming – whether from lake water or from tears, he didn't really know.

"What were you _thinking_?" she panted, her expression anguished. She shivered as a cold wind passed. "Y-you could've drowned! You could've died! I… I…" Tears welled up her eyes anew, and without warning, she had thrown herself at him with a desperate hug. Her warmth seeped in to him through their wet clothes. "How can I protect you if you do this kind of thing?!"

She cried horrendously loud against him, as if all the tears that he should've kept weeping was flooding out of her. She wailed and didn't let go of him, and he didn't push her away. He didn't want to believe it, but this was the last comfort that he didn't want going away just yet. Not just yet.

"Sakura…" he mumbled, letting his chin fall on her shoulder. "You don't have to protect me."

"Why not!?" she cried hysterically. "You're… you're alone now, aren't you? I need to… someone needs to… you need someone to be with you and take care of you! I'll – I'll come over everyday and make sure you get food and stuff, and… and… just let me do something for you, please?"

It was enough to know that she would never change. "I don't want to explain it. I have to be alone with this. You wouldn't understand."

This was the ultimatum, and Sakura knew that he would be keeping his distance from then on, just like always, and he would be pushing her away just like every other girl who hankered after him. She would have to become just another girl to him. She would never understand if he told her – he had lost the luxury of innocence far earlier than most of his peers, whereas she would keep hers for years to come.

He let her cry against him until she fell asleep in exhaustion. Someone would find them later on – Sakura would be brought home and would wake up in her own bed, while Sasuke would be placed under the Hokage's watch for a while. But sitting by her sleeping form would be the last memory he would have of their little moments of connection.

It would have to do till he was done.

* * *

_Why do these things have to come back at the most critical of times, dammit?_

* * *

It was the little memories that would matter in the long run, because those little memories would become building blocks of something bigger.

* * *

**AN:** Well, this has certainly been a strange combination. I've never written fluff that ended in angst before. Yet another perfect specimen of "flungst." Waaah. But I did fulfill my chibi!SasuSaku fantasies, because chibi!SasuSaku is nonexistent in canon. I made these little moments with the thought of them being inserted in canon. 

Wah. One-shots in one-shots. I've definitely gone lazier.

Review?


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